Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Sweet Alyssum blooms from May through October.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Sweet Alyssum
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 5 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Sweet Alyssum
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Sweet Alyssum into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar.
Comes in 5 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Sweet Alyssum
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Its tiny flowers make it an aphid-control powerhouse: adult hover flies sip the nectar, and each of their larvae then eats up to about 400 aphids. per Wisconsin
Summer heat depends on cultivar
Older seed-grown types slow and look ragged in midsummer heat, then revive in fall after a light shear. Modern sterile hybrids like 'Snow Princess' bloom straight through. per Clemson
Self-seeding varies by region
In most gardens it reseeds only modestly, not aggressively. Along the California coast, though, it escapes into dunes and bluffs and is rated a Limited invasive. per Wisconsin and Cal-IPC
Honey-scented flowers
The tiny four-petaled flowers carry a sweet, honey-like scent, also likened to new-mown hay. The species is white; cultivars add lavender, purple, pink, rose and apricot. per NC State
Where to plant it
Works as a fragrant carpeting groundcover, a low edger along paths and beds, a filler between pavers, and a spiller trailing over containers and baskets. per Clemson
Lean soil, more flowers
Skip heavy feeding: overly rich soil pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Lean, well-drained soil gives the best bloom; waterlogged soil invites root rot. per Wisconsin
Not 'basket-of-gold'
Often sold just as 'Alyssum', but it is Lobularia maritima, distinct from the yellow-flowered perennial 'basket-of-gold' (Aurinia saxatilis) that shares the nickname. per UF/IFAS
What pairs well with Sweet Alyssum
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.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants.
Asiatic Lily
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage; a soft color beside the white.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; a soft color beside the white.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Cleome
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants; a soft color beside the white.
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