Garden Scheme

Plant library  ·  Succulents & Cacti

Burro's Tail

Sedum morganianum

Burro’s Tail is a trailing succulent grown for its plump blue-green foliage and long, cascading habit. At up to 3 feet tall, it reads more as a vertical drape than an upright clump, making its drop below the container part of the design. Sedum morganianum works best where its stems can hang freely without being brushed, handled, or crowded by nearby planting.

  • Deer resistant
  • Native to North America
Sunlight Partial Sun
Water Low
USDA zones 10–11
Spacing 1.5 ft
Mature size 3 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
Bloom Late spring - summer

Placement and use

Use Burro’s Tail in a hanging basket, elevated pot, wall-mounted container, or on a high shelf with clear airspace below. Position it beside, rather than within, busy routes so the hanging stems do not intrude into a path, doorway, chair area, or watering access point. Its 1 1/2-foot spread suits a single-feature container or the outer edge of a mixed succulent display, where the plant can spill over without covering lower neighbors.

Spacing and mature footprint

Allow a 1 1/2-foot-wide footprint for each plant, measured across the pot or planting area rather than the length of the hanging stems. For grouped containers or in-ground planting where it can be grown outdoors, space plants 1 1/2 feet apart, center to center. Leave additional open space at the front or below the planting position for the trailing growth, especially near steps, narrow patios, and bed edges.

Three plants set 1.5 ft apart, center to center; shaded circles show the 1.5 ft mature spread.

Sun, water, and soil

Give it partial sun and keep it in a sharply drained setting that suits its low water needs. A container with drainage is especially useful because it keeps the root zone separate from more frequently watered plants. In a mixed arrangement, place Burro’s Tail with other plants that can tolerate a dry interval rather than beside moisture-demanding foliage.

Seasonal notes

Late spring through summer is the flowering window, when small blooms can add a brief accent among the trailing foliage. In USDA Zones 10 and 11, it can hold a place in the outdoor plan as a perennial. Elsewhere, use a movable container so the same cascading feature can be brought under protection when temperatures fall.

Planning caveats

Keep the display out of high-contact locations. The fleshy leaves detach readily when stems are handled or repeatedly bumped, so reserve clearance around the pot and avoid placing it where people, pets, tools, or adjacent plants will catch the trailing growth. A protected hanging position helps preserve the full, braided-tail effect.[1]

Growing facts

Botanical name
Sedum morganianum
Type
Succulent
Category
Succulents & Cacti
Lifecycle
perennial
USDA hardiness zones
10–11
Sunlight
Partial Sun
Water
Low
Plant spacing
1.5 ft
Mature size
3 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
Bloom season
Late spring - summer
Pollinator friendly
No
Deer resistant
Yes
Native to North America
Yes

References

  1. Sedum morganianum (Burro's Tail, Donkey's Tail, Horse's Tail, Lamb's Tail, Stonecrop) — North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.