Aurinia saxatilis
Basket of gold
Common names: Golden alyssum, Gold dust
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −23 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Basket of gold transforms walls, stone gardens, and dry stone walls into bright golden cushions in April and May. The low, evergreen perennial forms dense, gray-green carpeted foliage, above which clouds of tiny cross-shaped flowers rise, one of the first reliable nectar sources for wild bees in spring.
Care instructions
Provide a sunny, well-drained, and relatively bare spot, preferably between stones or in wall joints, heavy soil causes the cushions to fall apart. Watering is rarely needed after establishment; it tolerates dryness well. Cut the cushions back by about half immediately after flowering to keep them compact and encourage dense regrowth. Sow from May to July directly into the bed.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMay–Jul
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 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
sandy, well-drained, lean, lime-loving
Golden alyssum wants a well-drained, sandy-gravelly and rather lean soil that copes well with drought. Waterlogging is the only real killer; heavy or wet soil makes the plant rot, while a little lime or grit in the soil does it good.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar
On a lean site, golden alyssum manages practically without feeding. If the soil is very poor, just scatter a thin layer of mature compost loosely around the plants in spring; too many nutrients make them reluctant to flower and more susceptible to aphids.
Overwintering
Golden alyssum is fully hardy and needs no winter protection in the lowlands of Central Europe. Simply leave the plant standing in the bed. The only real danger is winter wet, so provide well-drained, rather lean soil without waterlogging.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
Golden alyssum can be propagated in three ways. Sowing is the easiest: sow the seeds directly outdoors in autumn or alternatively in spring. They are light germinators and need light to germinate, so cover them with only a very thin layer of sand or not at all. After about two to three weeks the first seedlings appear. For tip cuttings, in early summer after flowering, take healthy shoot tips that are not yet woody, about 8 to 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves and insert them in a well-drained substrate. Keep the cuttings evenly moist and sheltered. After four to six weeks they have rooted. This method works reliably and is the best way if you want to keep a bought cultivar true to type. Division of older clumps is possible in spring, but because of the sub-shrubby habit that turns woody at the base, it is less common than with classic perennials: carefully lift the root ball, split it with a sharp spade into several sections, each with enough roots and shoots, and replant the pieces straight away in a well-drained, sunny spot. Water regularly for the first weeks until the plants have established.
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 BasilRosemarySageHyssopBee balmCitronella lemon balm and 41 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 Basket of gold yourself
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