Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Though it is best suited to the fall, winter, and early spring garden, I usually sweet alyssum growing year round. My favorite places to grow it are at the edges of sunny beds and around the edges of my herb garden. It is equally suited for hanging baskets and other types of containers. It is a must for gardeners who want fragrance in their garden, for the honeylike scent is most pleasant.         

I learned the hard way that the seeds require light for germination. I bought a packet of seeds and planted them, covering them lightly as I usually do. No plants came up. It was not until I bought a new packet and read the directions that I discovered what I had done wrong. It plainly stated on the packet that light was required for germination. I prepared my bed as usual, sprinkled the tiny seeds on the surface of the soil, and patted lightly to be sure they had good contact with the soil. Lo and behold, I think every one of them came up. The tiny white flowers bloomed all spring and well into the summer. The following fall more plants came up where the old flowers dropped seeds.      

Seeds germinate in 8 to 15 days at temperatures between 65°F and 75°F. Light frosts seem to have no effect on sweet alyssum, but research indicates that a hard freeze might kill it. In my Valparaiso garden, however, I have never lost it to cold weather. Colors range from wine red, salmon pink, lavender, purple, to silver white. Cultivars include such popular choices as ‘Easter Basket’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Snow Crystals’, and ‘Carpet of Snow’.           

Amiable Spouse and I frequently comment about the insects that buzz around the sweet alyssum. Some bees are always flying around, and I have seen butterflies and hundreds of tiny wasps gathering pollen or sipping nectar from the minuscule blossoms.         

Sweet alyssum grows best in full sun, but it also blooms in partial shade. Six to ten inches tall is its usual height, but plants are smaller on sunny sites with poor soil. I plant it in beds that have been amended with organic matter, and though it is moderately drought tolerant, it prefers to be kept moist.           

White is my favorite color since it seems to be more visible in the landscape than some of the other colors, especially when it is planted in masses. Many tiny four-petaled flowers about a quarter of an inch in diameter bloom in clusters at the ends of each stem. Each cluster measures about three-quarters to one inch in diameter, and each plant has many of these tiny clusters.            

Sweet alyssum is readily available in flats at most garden centers in the spring and fall. Pick up a tray or a pack of seeds, and add a bit of sparkle to your landscape. 

Scientific name: Lobularia maritima

Common Name: Sweet Alyssum

Plant Type: Hardy annual

Size: 6-10 inches

Zones: All

Light: Sun to part sun

Water: Moderate

Varieties: ‘Easterbasket’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Snow Crystals’, ‘Carpet of Snow’

Color: Wine-red, salmon pink, orange, lemon, and silver white

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