Sweet alyssum

Sweet alyssum, with its dainty, fragrant flowers, is often used in containers and hanging baskets to spill over the edges, creating a soft, frothy look. It's also a great edging plant because of its tidy, compact habit. Regardless of how you use it, sweet alyssum does best in spring and fall's cool conditions (or use it for winter color in very warm climates).

In cool-summer conditions, such as the northern third of the United States, sweet alyssum will bloom steadily through the summer. It halts bloom in summer in warmer areas.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

Annual

Plant Height:

To 8 inches tall

Plant Width:

To 1 foot wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Privacy,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Fragrant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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'Clear Crystal Lavender' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Clear Crystal Lavender Shades' is an extra-vigorous selection with fragrant, larger-than-typical lavender blooms. It grows 10 inches tall and 14 inches wide.
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'Easter Basket' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Easter Basket Blend' bears blooms with violet, rose, or pink flowers on 4-inch-tall plants.
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'Easter Bonnet' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Easter Bonnet Pastel Mix' offers soft pink, lavender, and white blooms on tidy 4-inch-tall plants.
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'New Carpet of Snow' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'New Carpet of Snow' bears white blooms on tidy 3-inch-tall plants.
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'Rosie O'Day' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Rosie O'Day' bears rosy-lavender flowers on compact 4-inch-tall plants.
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'Snow Crystals' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Snow Crystals' has fragrant, extra-large flowers on vigorous plants.
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'Snow Princess' sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima 'Snow Princess' is an exceptionally vigorous variety that's heat tolerant and bears clusters of white flowers that are much larger than older varieties. It's strongly fragrant, as well, and grows 6 inches tall but can trail to 5 feet.
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Garden Plans

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Alternating Colors Container Garden Plan
Multiple Pots Container Garden
Butterfly Garden
Fragrant Garden
Fragrant Slope Garden Plan
Small-Space Vegetable Garden Plan
Drought-Tolerant Garden Plan
Annual Garden for Full Sun
Country-Style Fall-Garden Plan
Beautiful Bird Garden Plan
Easy Sidewalk Garden Plan
Low-Water Garden Plan
Colorful Mailbox Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Nemesia

Mix nemesia, with its fine-texture blooms and foliage, with lower sweet alyssum for a charming, fragrant combination.

Pansy

Rich purple pansies look great growing with a carpet of white sweet alyssum.

Stock

Upright stock always looks good when grown with tidy mounds of sweet alyssum.

Propagation

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Seed