Botanical atlas
Orpine
Sedum telephium
This plant is kept in the atlas for identification and safety, not for use. Read the safety notes below before handling it, and keep it away from children, cats, and food.
Orpine has long been a fixture of the European cottage garden, valued as much for its old-fashioned charm as for its usefulness. Country folk kept a clump near the kitchen door so a leaf could be split open and pressed onto a fresh cut, burn, or bee sting, in the same practical spirit as houseleek and aloe. Its thick, water-storing leaves made it a natural choice for this kind of quick, close-at-hand first aid long before modern dressings existed. The plant also carried a gentler, more whimsical role in folk tradition as a Midsummer love charm, hung in the home to foretell romance.
Safety.
No major toxicity is documented, and orpine has a long history of safe topical folk use for minor scrapes. Patch test first, since some people are sensitive to the leaf sap, and it isn't a substitute for proper wound care.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies orpine from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
View on HerbLensHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.