Succulent sod

Will sedum be the new sod?

Altman Plants, a San Diego County-based operation that is the largest cac- tus and succulent grower in the United States, is developing mats made of small succulents as an alternative to thirsty grass.

You can’t walk on the mats, but who wants to step on something so attractive? The mats could be thrown up on bare hillsides, where they would require no more than biweekly watering. Developers could use them for green rooftops. And big box stores theoretically could sell them rolled up and ready for plopping in the front yard -- instant low-water ground cover.

Updates on the availability of the mats will be posted on our home and garden blog, latimes.com/home.

-- Deborah Netburn