Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Mountain Madwort

Description:

This hardy variety is perfect for edging a border or accenting a rock garden; yellow flower clusters appear above a mounded cushion of leaves from late spring to mid summer; trim after flowering to maintain bushy habit; drought tolerant once established

Ornamental Features

Mountain Alyssum is blanketed in stunning clusters of fragrant yellow flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to mid summer. Its tomentose oval leaves remain grayish green in color with hints of silver throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Mountain Alyssum is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Mountain Alyssum is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Mountain Alyssum will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity extending to 6 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Mountain Alyssum is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.