Plants
Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima · Brassicaceae
Sweet alyssum is the flower you smell before you see it: its low cushions of hundreds of tiny cruciform blooms give off a warm honey scent that draws bees and hoverflies like a magnet. As a gap-filler and edging it has been indispensable since cottage-garden days. We buy our bedding stock compact and well rooted at the Veiling Rhein-Maas.
- Light
- Sunny to part-shaded.
- Watering
- Moderate — let it dry slightly, no permanent wetness.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Lobularia maritima
Lobularia maritima — formerly counted in the genus Alyssum, hence the English name — forms cushions only ten to twenty centimetres high and broadly creeping. Classic varieties are the pure white Carpet of Snow and the purple-violet Royal Carpet; modern series like Snow Princess flower even longer and more heat-proof.
The honey scent is no side note but the trademark: on warm days it carries several metres and makes sweet alyssum one of the best insect forage plants in the summer range. In kitchen gardens it is planted deliberately as a companion, attracting hoverflies whose larvae devour aphids.
As a coastal child it is remarkably frugal: it tolerates lean sandy soils, wind and even light salt exposure, but dislikes being permanently soggy. Full sun brings the densest bloom; in light part shade it carries on more loosely.
In hot summers the flowering of older varieties can stall. The gardeners' trick: after the first flush, cut the cushions back by a third to a half, water and feed lightly — two weeks later the carpet blooms as freshly as in May, often into October and light frosts.
In boxes and bowls sweet alyssum is the born frame: it hides pot edges, fills joints between larger partners and lays a white or violet hem around geraniums, verbenas and million bells. It also happily self-seeds in rock gardens and paving cracks.
Is Sweet Alyssum toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Sweet alyssum is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children — as a crucifer it is a harmless relative of cress and cabbage. As with all ornamentals, eating larger amounts is still not advised.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01A sunny spot for the densest bloom; part shade is tolerated.
- 02Water moderately — brief drought is unproblematic, waterlogging is not.
- 03Lean to ordinary soil is enough; feed only sparingly.
- 04Cut back by a third after the first flush for a repeat bloom.
- 05Plant out young plants from April or sow directly into the bed.
- 06Allow self-seeding — alyssum often returns on its own.
Frequently asked
- What does sweet alyssum smell like?
- Of warm honey — a sweet, far-carrying scent that stands out especially on sunny days. It deliberately attracts bees, bumblebees and hoverflies, making this little cushion flower one of the best insect plants for box and bed.
- Is sweet alyssum toxic to cats or dogs?
- No, Lobularia maritima is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. As a relative of cress and cabbage it is one of the most harmless balcony flowers — ideal for households with curious pets.
- Why has my sweet alyssum stopped flowering in high summer?
- Older varieties pause in great heat and put energy into setting seed. Cutting back by a third to a half, watering well and feeding lightly solves it: after about two weeks the carpet blooms again into autumn.
- Can you sow sweet alyssum directly?
- Yes, very well: from April sow broadcast into the bed or bowls, merely press in — it needs light to germinate — and keep moist. The cushions flower after six to eight weeks. In mild gardens it then often self-seeds for years.