Aubrieta deltoidea
Aubretia
Common names: Purple rock cress
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy
Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Aubretia (Aubrieta deltoidea) is a low mat-forming shrub that produces dense violet to purple flower carpets from April to May. It spreads flat and closes quickly, making it ideal for wall crowns, rock gardens, and along stream banks. Its evergreen, gray-green foliage keeps the mat attractive outside of flowering season. Cultivars such as "Royal Violet" and "Doctor Mules" provide strong color accents and are well suited for dry walls and container edges.
Care instructions
Aubretia prefers full sun, warm conditions, and a well-drained, somewhat sparse soil; it tends to rot on heavy, waterlogged soils. Water only when the soil remains dry for an extended period, as excess moisture is more harmful than drought. After flowering, cut the plant back to about half its height to keep it compact and encourage dense blooming the following year. Divide larger mats every few years in early autumn to prevent central dieback. In most locations, aubretia does not require winter protection, but a light mulch of straw can help in highly exposed rock gardens.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringApr–May
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lime-loving, lean, dry
Aubretia likes it lean and free-draining, ideally in a mix of sand and gravel with a little lime. The plant tolerates heavy, waterlogged soils poorly, and the roots quickly rot there. A poor site on wall tops or in a rock garden comes closest to its natural habitat. Soil that is too rich in nutrients makes it soft and susceptible, and it then flowers less abundantly.
Feeding
Light feeder
Aubretia hardly needs any feeding; too many nutrients harm it more than they help. A thin layer of mature compost in early spring is entirely sufficient. More important than feeding is cutting back after flowering, which keeps the cushion compact and free-flowering.
Overwintering
Aubretia is hardy in Central Europe and needs no special protection. What matters most is that the site does not stand wet in winter, because frost combined with waterlogging harms the roots more than the cold itself. In very severe winters with little snow, a loose covering of brushwood can protect the cushions from drying out.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
The easiest way is to divide established clumps in spring or straight after flowering; the divisions reliably keep growing. Cuttings of non-flowering shoots can be rooted in sandy soil in early summer. Sowing is also possible, but many varieties then do not come true, which is why nurseries mostly use vegetative propagation. Keep the young plants in a bright, cool spot until they are strong enough to move outdoors.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example PeaBush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled pea and 36 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageHyssop and 43 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example NasturtiumMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Aubretia yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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