Sweet alyssum is a powerful pollinator lure that attracts bees to your yard. This spectacular plant is a must-grow flowering superstar. Alyssum plants have been grown for ages. In Spain in the 1500s, you’d find sweet alyssum bordering edible gardens or growing wild on Mediterranean beaches. Alyssum flowers are not only beautiful, they also attract many of the beneficial pests that help you grow a garden.
A short-lived perennial, alyssum has been cultivated long enough for the development of heat and drought-tolerant varieties. These small flowers self-seed, and can be biennial in temperate climates. Because alyssum doesn’t get very tall, it’s an excellent way to border a square foot garden or create a barrier between rows.
Alyssum, with its tiny flowers, is a vigorous spreader. There are many different cultivars in many different shades and colors. Alyssum garden zones will bloom with lavender, pink, yellow, and white flowers. Plant white ‘Snow Crystals’, or try a pink variety that blooms in spring and fall, like ‘Royal Carpet’. Whether you choose snow white or pink, you won’t have to search far; seedlings are in every nursery. Due to its low and wide stature, the alyssum is known as a carpet flower and is used in bedding. Because alyssums don’t reach more than 12 inches in height and 12 inches wide, they are often used to border gardens and separate areas. This bordering is either for design purposes or to attract beneficial insects to an edible garden. They also attract hosts of pollinators, which boosts pollination for food production.
Sweet alyssum was originally cultivated in southern Europe, chiefly in Spain. The first records of sweet alyssum date back to the 1500s. It is also native to North Africa around the Mediterranean. The common cultivar of alyssum, Lobularia maritima, was hybridized and developed in the 1800s. It’s no wonder that these white flowers are still incorporated into edible gardens today, as they attract hosts of beneficial insects and are relatively maintenance-free. The root of the scientific name, Lobularia maritima comes from the Latin words for ‘seed pod’ and ‘the coast’. The plant has a genus synonym called Alyssum. Some alyssums are annuals. Some are short-lived and perennial. In optimal climates, this plant is a brief biennial.
A member of the Brassicaceae, or mustard family, alyssum plants have simple grey-green leaves arranged alternately on a central stem. Trichomes cover the leaves. Alyssum’s small, fragrant, symmetrical flowers have four petals and grow in clusters. Flower colors range anywhere from blue to purple or red to pink. Most common alyssum plants have white flowers. Search for a white variety if you’d like to grow the alyssum of the olden days.
Sweet alyssum plants are small and herbaceous. They bloom in summer through fall. As flowers bloom and die, seedpods called silicles form. When winter draws near, the pods dry and pop open, spreading seed over the ground. Then, in early spring, sweet alyssum returns to bloom again.
Some varieties of sweet alyssum are vigorous spreaders and may need to be container-gardened. Check your local agricultural extension office to determine the best cultivars for your area. If you’re unsure about the species you picked up at a nearby nursery, grow it in hanging baskets or containers. Many species are adapted to different regions of the world, though, so it shouldn’t be hard to find plants.
There are many alyssum varieties – more than we can showcase here. Here are a few notables to search for:
Snow Crystals: This plant is heat tolerant and produces gorgeous white flowers in early spring. The minimum height of snow crystals is six inches.
Easter Bonnet: This tall plant comes in shades of white, rose, red, and pink. The minimum height of Easter bonnet is ten inches.
Lavender Sweet Alyssum: This lavender blooming plant flowers twice: in early spring and late fall. It stands about eight inches tall making it great for hanging baskets and bedding. It’s also great for incorporating purple to lavender flowers in a landscape, and for related applications.
Royal Carpet: This plant blooms vibrant purple to lavender flowers twice per year in spring and fall. It’s a low grower. Purple and lavender blooms spread out about ten inches wide at only three inches tall.
Pastel Carpet Sweet Alyssum: This medium-height plant comes in light pastel colors of pink, white, yellow, and rose. The maximum height is nine inches.
Dwarf Pink Sweet Alyssum: lovely compact beneficial companion plant can be used as a ground cover or border flower to attract bees and ladybugs.
Alyssum is perfect for growing from seed either in trays or directly into the garden. Sow the seeds over a seed starting mix indoors, directly in a container, or in your garden after the danger of frost has passed, six to eight weeks before the last frost.
You can also plant seedlings purchased from the nursery, which are usually available in spring. Prepare the soil with plenty of organic materials, like compost, before planting in the ground. Space plants six to twelve inches apart, depending on the variety.