The Jelly Bean plant is native to Mexico; they are green in the shade and turn red at the tips when exposed to full sun, and around springtime, they produce bright yellow, star-shaped flowers.
The Jelly Bean plant is native to Mexico. They are green in the shade and turn red at the tips when exposed to full sun, and around springtime, they produce bright yellow, star-shaped flowers.
Most lovers of succulents love the Sedum Jelly bean plant, and it is no surprise why. From the colorful and tiny red-tipped leaves that look like actual jelly beans, hence the name—sometimes referred to as “pork-n-beans” since the leaves turn bronze in the summer, or as “Christmas Cheer” because they remind some of Christmas lights. In addition, the Jelly Bean plant is an exotic-looking favorite amongst gardeners and other plant lovers because it belongs to the variety of easy-to-grow garden plants.
The Jelly Bean plant is also a fleshy succulent that stores water in its leaves, stems, or even both places—just like the cactus. It comes in various shapes, sizes, and even colors, and occasionally the plants have flowers, unique spines, and frills.
Like a cross between the Sedum Pachyphyllum and Sedum Stahlii, the Jelly Bean is a succulent plant that thrives well despite neglect; it is very self-sufficient and rarely requires attention. Its stems could be up to 6-8 inches (about 15-20cm), and they grow upwards; however, when the weight becomes too much, the stems lean slightly. And in winter and spring—what we can call the early periods of growth—one sees an abundance of small, yellow flowers.
Table of Contents showGROWING CONDITIONS AND CARE.
Jellybean Plant: Cold Hardiness
As mentioned before, the Jelly Bean is a plant that does not require so much attention. However, it is not suitable for cold temperatures (i.e., it is not cold hardy). Therefore, if you live in a colder zone than 20°F (-6.7°C), it is best to plant the Jelly Bean succulents in a pot or plastic container, which you can take indoors when it gets too cold.
The plant needs partial sun to do well. Therefore, it does best in warmer climates and should NOT be kept outside in freezing conditions.
Jellybean Plant: Watering Requirement
Avoid over-watering the Jelly Bean plant; keep a minimum of a week or two between watering. Taking care of succulents requires minimal watering since they absorb lots of water. If it rains frequently, then additional watering would be unnecessary. Also, try to allow extended dry periods between watering. To avoid over-watering, ensure you feel the top inch of the soil before watering, and always ensure that the ground feels dry. It is best to use the “soak and dry” method and allow the soil to dry out completely between watering sessions.
For Succulents, under-watering and over-watering are potential problems.
Underwatering the Jelly Bean plant will cause it to shrivel up, and the leaves will dry, starting from the plant’s bottom. The leaves would lose their plumpness and become withered and thin. Starting from the bottom, the leaves would drop because the plant is trying to support the plant by conserving water. So, give your plants good watering once every ten days during hot summer days. Reduce the watering sessions when it gets cooler. You do not want to over-water your Jelly Bean.
Over-watering the Jelly Bean plant will cause the leaves to change color and appearance and become more translucent. They would also become very mushy and soft, so even the slightest touch would cause them to fall fast. To fix this, pause watering and wait for the soil to dry again before you resume watering.
Jellybean Plant: Soil Requirement
Make use of only well-drained soil when planting Jelly Bean succulents. The water level in the soil is critical to the plant. People often assume that having a small plant requires a lot of water, but this doesn’t seem right. Over-watering can be a problem for this plant. Grow the Jelly Bean in fast-draining soil mixes, such as perlite, pumice, or sand mixed with pear and a small amount of potting soil. You could also try a 1:1 of cactus mix and some perlite for a well-draining soil mix. You can use an all-purpose potting mix combined with perlite too.
Lightening Conditions
The Jelly Bean plant does not need a lot of sunlight and general lighting. However, you can plant it in partially well-shaded areas if you want the plant to have a pop of color. The plant only needs a few hours of sun a day to be alright. And in hotter climates, it needs some shade in summer; make sure you remember that Jelly Bean sedums turn green all over when they do not get enough light.
Jellybean Plant: Propagation and Growth
The Jelly Bean plant can be grown from leaves and cuttings. Here is how to do either:
When propagating with leaves, gently twist the leaves to detach from the stem, making sure that you get a “clean pull” leaf. A “clean pull” leaf promises successful propagation. Another way of propagating with leaves is by using fallen leaves. While Jelly Bean plants shed leaves, leaves can also shed from over-watering; fallen leaves can be collected and propagated.
When propagating with cuttings, remove a stem from the “main plant,” do this with a sterile and sharp knife or scissors. Allow this stem to sit for a few days before placing it in well-drained soil. Watch the soil closely; ensure you water it when it dries out completely.
Repotting Your Jellybean Plant:
If you keep your Jelly Bean plant in containers or pots, you would need to repot them occasionally, but not too often—so yay! The plant enjoys snug spaces and does not mind crowding in small pots; remember that you may lose some leaves regardless of how much care you apply. However, as we already mentioned, the leaves can cultivate new plants, so leave them in the pot.
Here are some helpful must-remember tips for repotting Jelly beans:
First, do not remove the Jelly Bean plant until the soil is dry. Dry soil helps the plant come out easier.
However, if the pot is plastic that can be disposable, you can choose to cut it out and remove the plant with utmost care to ensure that you do the most minimal damage.
Using a small garden spade or a similar garden tool, carefully dig the sides around the plant. Do this carefully and patiently to ensure that the plant hardly gets harmed.
Prunning and Maintenance.
This exotic-looking plant is easy to grow and maintain. However, you get the occasional plant that grows larger than expected and could outgrow the garden space or pot allotted; it can get quite messy and need you to clean up. Like any other type of garden plant variety, it needs to be pruned regularly for size control, to improve its shape, or get stems and leaves for propagation. Also, it is necessary to prune to get rid of diseased, bruised, broken, and damaged parts in the leaves, flower stalks, and stems, even though most succulents, like Jelly Bean, can seal off damaged parts by themselves.
If you are good at it, maybe you are part of a landscape maintenance crew—you can use string trimmers. However, these are tricky to maneuver and always require a very steady hand. Instead, use a sharp knife or a pruning saw with fine teeth to achieve a cleaner cut that would be less likely to cause decay. If a plant is diseased, sterilize blades by dipping or swabbing them with alcohol before cutting or trimming plants. While pruning succulents that still have spines or milky sap, wear gloves, especially when other plants are around, such as the crown of thorns or the pencil cactus, because the milky liquid can irritate your skin.
Furthermore, because new growth sprouts towards the end of cuts, prune the stems to where you want the new growth to emerge. It is possible to train its development to point in different directions and cut it just above a small branch or bud, making sure that it is pointing in the right direction. Most times, the cut-off portions can dry for a few days and then be rooted in well-drained potting soil or stuck into a planter. It is best to do so in early spring, just before the new growth begins when you are trimming a succulent grown in-ground and outdoor spaces.
If there are year-round species, you can choose to prune them when there are warm weather conditions. For flowering varieties, prune in the winter when it is dormant or shortly after bloom. For fertilization, do so once a month during spring and summer. Use a cactus and a fertilizer for succulents.
Cultivars to Select
In Cultivation, there are so many common forms and cultivars of Sedum Pachyphyllum, and one of them—the prettiest—has yellow-green leaves that cluster densely at the stem apex. These also have noticeable redder leaf lips. Another cultivar is home to California, and it is a cross between the Sedum Pachyphyllum and the Sedum Morganianum.
Another cultivar is stouter with more blue-glaucous leaves and only a slight hint of red on its tips. Or, sometimes, none at all. Another cultivar is the Sedeveria Humbelli, this one is prevalent, and it is a cross between the Sedum Pachyphyllum and the Echeveria Derenbergii.
Managing Pests and Diseases
No insects, pests, or diseases are known to attack this plant. However, keep an eye out for scales and mealybugs. To get rid of them, soak a Q-Tip in alcohol and remove them with this. Also, when you see fungus gnats, that is nature’s way of letting you know that the soil is too damp and over-watering is around the corner, so allow the soil to drain well.
Best Uses
Jelly Bean Plant is in no way edible; it’s only serving best as a beautification plant.