I've had Xenox in my zone 5a garden for 4 years. So far no problems with hardiness. In full sun it keeps a beautiful dusky color. I would highly recommend it. Another dark leaved variety that has worked for me is Picolette. However, it's leaves are not as large as Xenox, more like Purple Emperor. A more compact sedum with shiny dark, chocolate leaves that I grow and like is Chocolate Drop.

I am also looking for a dark Sedum to replace 'Purple Emperor' I like Purple Emperor fine early in the season, but it starts to bleach out the bottom leaves in July. And as it develops flower heads, it splays open a little bit. It also doesn't develop a nice full flower head the way Autumn Joy does, either. I will keep it and use it if there is nothing out there that is better. Sounds like 'Black Jack', which I was considering is not much better. Hadn't heard of Xenox.

Is anyone else having trouble with GW lately? I responded to the OP and hit the 'submit' button and I know this sounds crazy, but it downloaded a file to my desktop, twice and still didn't show that it was posted, until I went back to the main page and reloaded. The file it downloaded to my desktop was titled 'followup.cgi'.
And it's been posting two posts when I try to submit a response lately too.

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 12:20

Here's 'Xenox' in front of 'Matrona'

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They've been there for years now, and I love them both.

I grow 'Rainbow Xenox' - it differs from the original by having multicolored flowers. They start green, open to yellow and mature to an orangey-pink. Like the original, I'm not sure I would consider this a very darkly colored sedum. The foliage starts out as a bluish green and matures to a reddish purple but always has a greenish tint underlying the whole effect.

The best dark foliage sedum I have seen (and grew in my old garden) is 'Postman's Pride. A dark wine purple (not reddish) that is held very nicely through the growing season.

I see what you mean, prairiemoon :-) It did exactly the same thing to me and resulted in a double post. Sometimes I think this site is possessed by gremlins........

This post was edited by gardengal48 on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 13:44

Everyone's input is very helpful -- thanks! Awesome picture, coolplantsguy. And gardengal, I didn't realize it started out that much more green, so will take that into consideration.

Felisa, great to know it's been hardy for you.

Prairiemoon, I'd avoid Black Jack as much as I love the looks of it. I have four groups of three plants, and only a few dark stems left.

Nice photo Coolplantguy! Would you say that this is an early photo, before both plants expand their flower heads?

Gardengal48, that 'Rainbow Xenox' sounds so interesting! I just went on a search for 'Postman's Pride' and haven't seen a nursery I'm familiar with that offers it. I haven't seen it in my travels, but I think I have to get out to the nurseries more. :-) Thanks!

Looks like they straightened out the website, or the gremlins have gone in to eat dinner. (g)

I still love my Autumn Joy, but I have tried a few other sedums. Vera Jameson, Matrona, Purple Emperor, Frosty Morn, Autumn Charm, and last year added 'Elsie's Gold'. There's something about each one to like, but none of them, quite satisfy me the way Autumn Joy does. If the blooms would stay pink rather than turning brown quickly, I'd be completely happy with it.

Thanks Ruth, I will cross 'Black Jack' off my list. I went through that 'reverting' problem with Frosty Morn and don't want to do that again.

Autumn Joy with Pennisetum 'Hamelin'

(Well, I spoke too soon. No sooner did they fix one problem now there is another...The black diamonds with Question Marks, it used to do that to me, every time I used text editor and pasted to the thread, on just the quotation marks. It stopped doing it and now it's doing it again.)

"I will cross 'Black Jack' off my list. I went through that 'reverting' problem with Frosty Morn and don't want to do that again."

I hear you -- I shovel pruned Frosty Morn this year after years of cutting solid green stems.

I'm surprised so many of you have had issues with 'Black Jack' reverting to green. I've had my plant for more than a dozen years and over that span of time it has never shown any indication of reverting to the common green form. I also have 'Autumn Joy' but it isn't happy with the wet conditions we've had this year.

2 years ago I bought a Sedum Xenox from Santa Rosa gardens during a fall sale, planted it in the front garden, which is a true zone 5 garden due to the harsh winter winds that whip across farmland from the west. It did not return the next Spring.

Contacted Santa Rosa, they sent a replacement, planted that in one of the foundation beds which is close to the house and much warmer, and has assorted Sedum cultivars growing in it. It proceeded to die through the summer! Could not tell you why....

YMMV.

Yes cross Black Jack off your list. I did not have problems with it reverting it constantly just looked bad. If it was in two much sun the leaves browned. If I had it in too much shade it was a puny thing. I think I still have it somewhere in the garden but I think It is covered with ground cover.

My favorite Green is Brilliant. I do not like the muddy color that Autumn Joy's bloom ending.

If you like red Cherry Tart is pretty. It is not as tall as AJ but the color is so strong it stands out.

Instead of cutting out the part that is reverting, take several cuttings of the desirable plant and pop them in the ground. I have done this with Frosty Morn and had the cuttings behave.

I have both xenox and purple emperor here in zone 3. Purple Emperor flops all over once the flowers develop; I much prefer xenox.

Crunchpa,

I used to pinch and plant Frosty Morn a few times throughout the summer. There was still enough green that I just got tired of the hassle.

I also plant my Purple Emperor cuttings when I trim it in spring, and they grow fine.

Black Jack was a different story. I don't think I ever got a cutting to root. (I was just sticking them in the ground like I do with other sedums.)

I pinch purple emperor in June. No problem flopping after that. Have had autumn charm for close to three seasons now (3 plants) and no reversion. Although some seem more variegated than others.

I am going to try a couple of new green varieties to see if I can improve upon 'Autumn Joy' this year. I'll look for 'Brilliant' marquest, thanks. Hadn't heard of 'Cherry Tart' either.

crunchpa, I never thought of doing that, it sounds like an idea worth trying.

miclino, I have 'Autumn Charm' too and it appears to have no reversion this year either. Second season. I need to move it to more sun though.

echinaceamaniac, that 'Blue Pearl' looks good, thanks.

I don't have anything to really weigh in on the matter or xenox or other dark sedums... I only have autumn joy and matrona. But I had no idea what I had was matrona lol. I received two cuttings from a former co-worker last June, I believe. I stuck them in the ground but haven't really seen them in full fall flower (they had small buds on them when I got the cuttings but they never bloomed). So at any rate, I just wanted to say thanks for naming my sedum :)
But, i do love Lynda Windsor... saw it on Blue Stone and I'd love to get a few of those

I have Postman's Pride, which replaced Purple Emperor. The leaves and the whole plant is a little smaller, but the plant does not burn in the sun here, and stands up nicely. It is close to black with reddish tint. The flower heads are rather small and not very conspicuous.

I have another dark one called Linda and Rodney , but this one is much lighter and more open habit. The plant does not fall over.

I have read that Matrona is taller than what I am getting from mine. Do I have Matrona(left) here. I do not pinch it, it stays compact and never flops. I have taken pieces and planted them elsewhere with the same results. It has been a great plant for me.
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I saw "Chocolate Drop" at the nursery today, and the leaves were an attractive, glossy deep color. I'm tempted but am going to wait and see if I can work it in when my new patio goes in.

I'm another who thinks "Brilliant" is the best plain green one - very nice flower color.

I have "Matrona" and love it - there's something about the pinkish white flowers against the dusky green/maroon-tinged leaves that is very appealing to me, it's an overall very attractive plant.