Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite cool-season annuals: Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima).
This low-growing beauty is native to the Mediterranean region (hence the botanical name maritima), and will grow in just about any garden as long as the temperatures remain fairly cool and the humidity isn’t too high. Folks in the south can grow it in the winter and spring, and those up north can delight in it all summer long. It has a very strong honey-like fragrance which most people enjoy, although there are those who don’t care for it. It grows well from seed, blooming in just 6 – 8 weeks. It works well as a border plant at the edge of garden beds, but I find it especially well-suited to containers. It looks lovely as it grows and spills over the sides, and mixes well with other spring and summer annuals. Here are some of the combinations I’m using this year:
Sweet Alyssum and Yellow Marigold
Sweet Alyssum and Dwarf Snapdragon
Sweet Alyssum and Dwarf Stock (Matthiola incana)
Sweet Alyssum and Yellow Bidens (Bidens ferulifolia)
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Sweet Alyssum is an annual MUST on my list each year! One of the first to plant and have had success with growing from seed.
As with you Jill, Like using S. Alyssum as a ‘spiller’ in container pots. I also like to line the front borders of some flower beds.
too. I do find it’s best to lightly shear the spent flowertops on those sold in 6pks. Not really needed on Lobularia hybrid such as
a ‘Snow princess’.
I usually only use native plants but sweet alyssum is one I plant every year in containers on our back deck. No worries of it becoming aggressive and taking over our woods.
Alyssum is a wonderfully reliable flower to plant either alone or in a planter to add a light dainty touch to other more dramatic flowers. It seems to love sun or shade and when it gets a little leggy in mid summer- a good sheering will have it backup and beautiful in a couple weeks!
Just brought this yesterday that’s what I was going do plant in pots see how does.We enjoy perennial better but may get few annuals.. We have drought so bad anymore Thank’s Cookie17
Sweet Alyssum is also known as an attractant of many polllinators. Planting in attractive pots – as in the above picture – and interspersing them throughout the gardens is a great way to insure plants like squash, cukes and watermelon blossoms will be fertilized. Planted along pathways and using shears as Deborah suggested, does make it nice and tidy, and the honey scent is always welcome in the evenings. It is also very easy to grow.
I have quit having Alyssum because a small, black, hard shell bug sucks it out and kills it. What can I do to get rid of these?