Tiny puffs of white, pink or violet flowers crowd together at ankle height, giving off a sweet, honey-like scent. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is an annual grown chiefly as a flowering ground cover; give it full sun and soil that drains freely, and it will carpet the ground in bloom from spring into summer.
Sweet alyssum at a glance
Name
Lobularia or Alyssum maritimum
Family
Brassicaceae
Type
annual
Height
1 ½ feet (15 cm)
Exposure
full sun
Soil
ordinary
Flowering
spring, summer
Often used for ground cover, it bestows an beautiful ornamental touch to the garden.
There are 2 types of alyssum, one is a perennial that blooms in spring whereas the other, sweet alyssum, is an annual that blooms in summer.
The one we’re presenting here is sweet alyssum.
Sowing sweet alyssum
To sow sweet alyssum correctly, you must start in spring.
Favor an emplacement that is richly endowed with sunlight.
Double-check that the soil drains well and water doesn’t linger.
Choose a very sunny spot, that will ensure they’ll bloom best and their fragrance will be strongest.
Once you’ve sown the seeds, water regularly until they sprout and then, in case of extreme heat.
All there is to know about sweet alyssum
This cover plant boasts abundant blooming that will perfectly fulfill its mission as a ground cover plant, and does so in a colorful, gay manner.
Abundant bloom fulfils its role as flowering ground cover
Thanks to its flowers that range from white to red with instances of pink, you’ll catch the eyes of by-passers with your beautiful garden.
This annual especially needs watering in summer, and in which case it is better to water in the evening to reduce premature water evaporation.
Native to Western Asia and Europe, the flowers form cute puffs of flowers with a sweet honey-like fragrance.
Its flowers are often white but can also be purple or violet.
Smart tip about sweet alyssum
Adding manure and seaweed based compost to the soil you’re sowing in (about 20% in volume) will greatly increase your plant’s growth and flowering!
Images: Pixabay: Dewdrop, May_Hokkaido
Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.