About Sedum praealtum A.DC.
Sedum praealtum A.DC. has sub-woody brown or grayish stems and fleshy, hairless leaves. It reaches 90 cm (3 feet) in height, and spreads to 1.2 m (4 feet) across. Its lime-green leaves are spatulate, 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) long, and arranged in rosettes. Large clusters of bright, star-shaped yellow flowers bloom from late winter through spring. This species is summer-dormant. It is closely related to and visually similar to Sedum dendroideum; S. dendroideum can be distinguished by a line of subepidermal glands along its leaf margins near the leaf tips. In cultivation, the tree-like form of Sedum praealtum makes it suitable for bonsai, and it resembles the Jade plant. It grows easily in rock gardens in well-drained, poor soils. It can be readily propagated from cuttings, and it is not cold hardy. A spermicide developed from this plant, which allows women to control birth without major side effects, is around 20% more effective than nonoxynol-9. Preparations made from its leaf material have been traditionally used to treat burns, hemorrhoids, dysentery, and gum inflammation, and it is also used as an eye drop for conjunctivitis and eye irritations.
