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Basket of Gold
Aurinia saxatilis
Basket of Gold blooms from April through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Basket of Gold
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 8 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Basket of Gold. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Fifteen fields were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it, with every unsettled point written down and decided: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, soil, diseases, pests, toxicity, the plant's own names, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Basket of Gold
Plant Basket of Gold in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Basket of Gold get?
8 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Basket of Gold in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Basket of Gold
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Basket of Gold about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Basket of Gold to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Basket of Gold's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 13 published sources on August 25, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolbox, Aurinia saxatilisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- Cornell Cooperative ExtensionCornell University Home Gardening, Flower Growing Guide: Aurinia saxat...height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil, diseases and pests
- Missouri Botanical Gardenkempercode c271height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil, diseases and pests
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society, Aurinia saxatilis (RHS plant 26319)height, spread, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- Plants For A FutureAurinia saxatilisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil and toxicity
- Missouri Botanical Gardenthe neighbour controlheight, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Heritage Perennials / Valleybrook International Ventures, Aurinia saxa...height, spread, hardiness zones, water and soil
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Heritage Perennials / Valleybrook International Ventures, Aurinia saxa...height, sun, bloom months and color and diseases
- NC State Extensionthe neighbour controlheight, spread and hardiness zones
- Cornell Cooperative Extensionthe neighbour controlheight and hardiness zones
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Heritage Perennials / Valleybrook International Ventures, Aurinia saxa...bloom months and color
- Cornell Cooperative Extensionthe neighbour controlspread
- extension.rutgers.eduRutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension, Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Re...pests
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Basket of Gold
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Drought-tolerant, but wet soil is what kills it: soggy, poorly drained ground rots the crown and roots, so sharp drainage matters far more than how often you water. per NC State
Full sun or afternoon shade?
In cool, northern gardens give it full sun for the densest bloom; in hot-summer regions some afternoon protection reduces heat stress. Match the exposure to your climate. per NC State and Iowa State
Shear back after bloom
Cut it back by about one-third to one-half right after flowering. The same shearing keeps the mound compact, stops the leggy bare center, and curbs heavy self-seeding. per Iowa State and Colorado State
An alpine, short-lived in heat
This alpine plant dislikes heat and humidity and is short-lived above zone 7. Many Deep South gardeners grow it as an annual, replanting each fall for spring. per Arkansas and NC State
Early nectar for bees
Its early spring bloom feeds bees when little else is flowering, making it a valuable early-season nectar and pollen source for pollinators and beneficial insects. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Rarely browsed by deer and reported rabbit-resistant too, placing it among perennials seldom damaged by wildlife, though very hungry animals may sample almost anything. per NC State and Colorado State
What pairs well with Basket of Gold
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Purple Coneflower
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 2.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Butterfly Bush
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; purple against yellow, for contrast.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.