Lobularia maritima
Sweet alyssum
Common names: Seaside alyssum, Sweet alison
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- Jun–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −3 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Joanbanjo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Sweet alyssum, botanically Lobularia maritima, is a small member of the Brassicaceae family from the Mediterranean region, where it grows on coasts and on barren soils. It forms dense, flat cushions 10 to 20 cm tall and about 25 cm wide. From June to September, often into October, countless small flowers in white, pink, or violet open above the narrow foliage. They smell of honey and attract bees and other insects. In gardens it is used as a border edging for beds, as a filler between perennials, in paving joints and dry walls, or in balcony boxes where it grows over the rim. In this region it is grown as an annual, since severe frost ends its season. It readily self-seeds on well-drained soils.
Care instructions
Sweet alyssum needs a sunny spot and well-drained soil. Pre-grown plants can be set out from mid-April, as it tolerates light frost. On frosty nights, cover it with fleece. With about 20 cm spacing, the cushions close together within a few weeks. Water regularly while the plants establish, then only during prolonged dry spells. In balcony boxes, water once the surface of the soil has dried out, since waterlogging causes roots to rot. In midsummer, sweet alyssum often takes a flowering break. Then cut it back by about one third and water well: after two to three weeks it sprouts anew and blooms until autumn. Remove spent flowers in between. Common mistakes are soil that is too rich and too much water, both of which make the plant soft and reduce flowering.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringJun–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 5 to 10 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, sandy, lean, loamy
Sweet alyssum grows best on free-draining, rather lean soil. Sandy or loamy-sandy soil suits it well, and it does not mind chalky soil either. In rich, heavily fertilised soil it becomes lush and soft, but flowers less. It does not tolerate waterlogging, so on heavy soils mix in sand or fine grit. In a balcony box, use free-draining potting compost and make sure the drainage holes are clear.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Jun–Aug
In the bed, sweet alyssum hardly needs fertiliser; a little mature compost at planting is enough. Too many nutrients make it soft and shy to flower. In a balcony box or container, give it a sparing dose of liquid fertiliser for flowering plants every four weeks from June to August. After cutting back in high summer, a small dose helps it shoot again quickly.
Overwintering
Sweet alyssum is an annual here. It tolerates light frost, but dies in severe frost. Clear it away in autumn once it has been frosted or has finished flowering. In very mild spots a plant occasionally survives the winter, but you cannot rely on that. Seedlings usually germinate from fallen seeds the following spring. For your own seed, let a few flower heads ripen in late summer and cut them off on a dry day.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You sow sweet alyssum from March to May. From March you start it indoors, and from mid-April you can sow straight into the bed. The seeds are light germinators: scatter them thinly on the soil, press them down only lightly and do not cover them. At room temperature they germinate after one to two weeks. Prick out the seedlings into small pots and keep them bright. A sowing in May flowers from July and fills gaps in late summer. In the bed, sweet alyssum self-seeds over time; leave the seedlings in the following year where they are or move them.
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 Sweet alyssum yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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