Iberis sempervirens
Evergreen Candytuft
Common names: Candytuft
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Apr–May
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −25 °C
- Water need
- Low
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This description was machine-translated.
Description
Evergreen candytuft, botanically Iberis sempervirens, is a low, evergreen subshrub native to southern Europe, where it grows on rocky slopes. It forms dense, dark green mats that reach 15 to 30 cm in height and spread to about 40 cm in width over the years. In April and May, the foliage is almost hidden under flat, pure white flower clusters. In the garden, it suits rock gardens, dry stone walls and wall tops, bed and path edges, and planting troughs. Because it stays green through winter, it keeps areas covered throughout the year. It is easy to care for but needs a sunny, well-drained site and one pruning per year to stay dense.
Care instructions
Plant evergreen candytuft in spring or September in a sunny spot with well-drained, lean soil, leaving about 30 cm of spacing. It tolerates drought well, so water only during the first summer and during long dry spells. The most important task is pruning: directly after flowering, shorten all shoots by about one third, otherwise the mat becomes bare from below and falls apart. It hardly needs fertilizer. Typical mistakes are wet, heavy soil and deep shade, both of which lead to rot or sparse flowering. Cut off frost damage on shoot tips in spring.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
FloweringApr–May
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, sandy, lean, lime-loving
Evergreen candytuft thrives in free-draining, rather lean soil, preferably sandy to stony and with a little lime. A neutral to slightly alkaline pH suits it well. What matters is that no water stands, especially in winter. On heavy loam, mix in plenty of sand or grit, or plant it on a small mound. Soil that is too rich makes the shoots long and soft.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Apr
Evergreen candytuft is undemanding. In April, a thin layer of mature compost around the plant is enough. It needs no more food, because soil that is too rich makes the shoots long and soft and weakens flowering. In a container too, rather give too little than too much.
Pruning
Cut evergreen candytuft back by about a third straight after flowering, that is, at the end of May or in June. The cut keeps the cushion dense and prevents it from becoming woody from the base and falling apart. Do not cut into bare, old wood, because it regrows poorly from it. Remove frost-damaged shoot tips in spring.
Overwintering
Evergreen candytuft is hardy and stays green in winter too. It tolerates cold better than wet, so water must drain away well. In very cold, snow-poor winters or in windy places, a loose covering of brushwood protects the shoots from winter desiccation and winter sun. Cut brown shoot tips back in spring. In a container, stand the pot sheltered against the house wall.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
Cuttings work most reliably. In June or July, cut non-flowering shoot tips about 5 cm long, remove the lowest leaves and insert them into sandy seed compost. In a bright place, but not in full sun, they root within a few weeks. Sowing is also possible: from March, scatter the seeds on seed compost, cover them only thinly and keep them evenly moist. The young plants often flower only in the second year.
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 Evergreen Candytuft yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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