Those dead woody stalks may be cut off now with shears. It sends up new ones each year. It is not a houseplant. Place it outside in bright full sun in rich soil. In the summer it will have crowns of tiny pink flower clusters which attract butterflies and moths. Then the flowers fade to a nice cinnamon in the fall and dry out. Cut the stalks down in December when they look like tan wood. I was given a sprig when I was 17 and now I am 60 and have given away many new divisions from mine.

In 2 or 3 years when yours gets large, you may cut out 3 inch tall stalks in the spring to root easily in moist soil.

The root base is woody too and the leaves hold lots of moisture so do not plant in a boggy area nor over water. Grow it on the dry side and feed with fertilizer twice during spring and summer.

Good luck with it. They are very easy.

I agree it is Sedum, ‘Autumn Joy’ or similar https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sedum+autumn+joy&FORM=HDRSC2

Where do you live Sarah Irby? Do you want to keep it in a container indoors (or outdoors) or maybe you would like to plant it in the garden?

Of German origin that particular introduction is correctly 'Herbstfreude', with "Autumn Joy" being a translation into English and not actually the name of the plant.

For a reverse example, your own given name does not become a German equivalent when and if you decide to move to Germany and live there.

Thank you for all of your responses! I live in southern Virginia. I actually had three stalks and since I didn’t know what they were, I planted one in a container and the two others (which weren’t in the best shape) in the ground. I suppose I will transfer this one to the ground in the spring!

Yes, all of them survived. They're all in the ground and doing great, lots bigger! And yes, Danville is only about an hour from me. I have family there.