Sedum album 'Coral carpet'

Here's one that changes its whole look with the seasons, and does it beautifully. Sedum album 'Coral Carpet' starts the year as a tidy green mat, blooms in small white flowers in summer, and then — as temperatures drop and summer drought bites — transforms into shades of coral, salmon, and warm red that give the whole plant a completely different character. It's the same plant doing two completely different things in the same growing season, and it pulls off both looks with ease.

Hardy to Zone 4 and reliably evergreen in mild PNW winters, 'Coral Carpet' spreads into a low, dense mat that suppresses weeds and stays attractive year-round. The coral-red coloration is most intense in cold and drought stress — a sunny, south-facing gravel bed or a rocky slope on the east side of the Cascades will bring out its best colors. On the west side, even our mild winters can push some of that warm coloring into the foliage. Full sun and good drainage are the main requirements, and once those are met you can basically forget about it. It pairs naturally with blue-gray sedums and chartreuse foliage for a warm-cool contrast that looks like you planned it carefully — even if you just stuck things in the ground and hoped for the best. Which, around here, is a perfectly valid gardening strategy.