Alyssum
These fragrant flowers do more than just look pretty! Alyssum can be used as a ground cover, living mulch, and companion plant. It attracts many beneficial predators, like parasitic wasps, to help control the pest population!
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Aphrodite Carpet of Snow |
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Lobularia maritima |
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Intermediate |
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Intermediate |
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4 years if properly stored. |
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Annual |
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8-10 days |
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4-6” |
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Light is needed for germination. Full sun, but will tolerate part shade. |
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Summer |
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February, March and April |
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Out of Stock: Aphrodite Yes for the rest |
Growing Tips
4 plants per 12” container
When to Start
Spring: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Direct sow after danger of frost has passed. (Mid Feb – March for Jefferson, GA)
Transplant: after ALL danger of frost has passed. (May 1 for Jefferson, GA)
How to start
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Use sterile, pre-moistened seed starting mix. Surface sow into cells or pots by gently pressing them into the top of the soil. The soil needs to be kept moist, but not soggy, until germination, which is usually 15 to 20 days. When the seedlings have several pairs of true leaves transplant them after hardening off and ALL danger of frost has passed into a bed of full sun.
Care
Alyssum requires well-drained soil with moderate moisture. Before transplanting your seedlings, check the drainage in your soil by digging a hole and filling it with water. If soil doesn’t drain quickly, work in compost, leaf litter or grit, such as sand, to increase the porosity of the soil. Keep the bed weed-free to reduce competition for resources and provide even moisture. Thin to 6-9 inches.
While alyssum is relatively maintenance-free, it will do poorly on boggy sites. Botrytis blight is a particular problem of sweet alyssum plants when they are grown in overly wet areas. It benefits from deadheading and light pruning will keep it blooming all season long until you are ready to let it go to seed.
My personal experience
I’ve grown sweet alyssum for several years now and I LOVE it! It is one of the best-smelling flowers. When it’s in full bloom like it is the picture, working in the garden is even more of a pleasure as the sweet, honey scent wafts over you. It’s a hive of activity, full of pollinators! I use it as a companion plant to attract parasitic wasps. It attracts many more beneficials too. It also makes a good ground cover, helping to suppress weeds. I inter mix it with my pepper plants.
In the past, the sweet alyssum grows to a max of 6 inches. This is perfect as it doesn’t over power the peppers. However, the spring of 2023 was colder and wetter than normal. It seems alyssum really prefers this as it grew to about a foot tall and you can see it spilling out of my raised bed. I’ve never deadheaded it, but after the booms are spent and you think its done, keep watering it as it comes back with another round of flowers. I’m thinking about getting a dwarf variety for next year and doing a mass planting for ground cover. Won’t that be pretty!
Seed Saving
Isolation Distance
Insect dependent for pollination. Isolate 1/4 mile to prevent cross-pollination.
Instructions
Select healthy, robust plants free of any signs of disease or insect infestation for seeds. Seeds carry the traits of the parent plant. Choose plants that exhibit the traits you wish to preserve. Consider bloom size, color, and shape, as well as blooming time.
Allow the biggest and healthiest blooms to mature on the plant. Cover the seed head with a fine-mesh bag as soon as the flower petals shrivel and die. Use an elastic band to hold the bag in place. This prevents seeds from spilling onto the soil before harvest.
Clip the flower head from the main stem once the seeds are dry and dark. Separate plant debris from the seeds by removing the mesh bag and placing the flower head in a paper bag and shaking to loosen the seeds. Seeds settle to the bottom of the bag. Remove plant debris by hand.
Features
- Great for edgings and boarders!
- Fragrant
- Deer and rabbit resistance
- Low maintenance
- Good companion plant
- Edible. Lobularia maritima is a member of the Brassicaceae family. These include kale, broccoli, and cauliflower to name a few. Alyssum has a sweet and peppery flavor. Both the stems and flowers can be added to soups, desserts, and salads or used to garnish main courses.
- Aphrodite: Flower colors include apricot, salmon, lemon, and red, plus more standard purple and white.
- Carpet of Snow: Heirloom. It is commonly used as a ground cover and has a very sweet fragrant scent.
Since light aids in germination, it is easier to start alyssum indoors and transplant it later.
Let the plant dry out between waterings. Consistent damp or soggy soil will make the plant prone to root rot.
Self-sows.
Sources:
Edenbrothers.com
Gardenguides.com
Starting & Saving Seeds by Julie Thompson-Adolf
Edible Flowers: How, Why, and When We Eat Flowers by Monica Nelson