Key Features
- Low-growing perennial known for abundant, cheerful blooms and spreading foliage.
- Flowers appear in shades of purple, violet, pink, blue, and white, depending on variety.
- Forms a soft, cascading habit that works beautifully along walls, paths, and rock gardens.
- Excellent for borders, alpine gardens, containers, slopes, and cottage-style landscapes.
- Early-season blooms provide attractive color when many other garden plants are just beginning to flower.
Growing Benefits
- Creates colorful groundcover with a naturally spreading growth habit.
- Adds charming seasonal color to rock gardens and garden borders.
- Works well in small spaces, containers, walls, and edging areas.
- Helps soften hard landscape features with trailing flowering growth.
- A lovely choice for gardeners seeking low-growing perennial flowers.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Aubrieta, Rock Cress, Aubretia
- Botanical Name: Aubrieta deltoidea
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Colors: Purple, violet, pink, blue, and white
- Height: About four to six inches
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Water: Moderate watering; avoid consistently waterlogged soil
- Germination Time: Usually about fourteen to twenty-one days
- Sowing Depth: Surface sow or cover very lightly
- Spacing: About twelve to eighteen inches apart
- Growing Zones: Generally USDA Zones four through eight
- Flowering/Maturity: Typically blooms in spring after establishment
- Uses: Rock gardens, borders, walls, edging, containers, slopes, and groundcover
Growing Tips
- Surface sow the tiny seeds because light can help support germination.
- Keep the seed-starting medium evenly moist without disturbing the seeds.
- Choose a sunny location with excellent drainage for healthy growth.
- Provide good air circulation around established plants to help maintain healthy foliage.
Seed Storage
Keep unused Aubrieta seeds in their original sealed packet or an airtight container. Store them in a cool, dry, dark location away from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Label the container with the variety and storage date.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Aubrieta is named after French botanical illustrator Claude Aubriet.
- It belongs to the mustard family, Brassicaceae, which includes many familiar garden and vegetable plants.
- Aubrieta naturally grows in rocky and mountainous habitats, making it well suited to rock gardens.
- Its flowers appear in spring and can form a colorful carpet over walls, slopes, and other garden surfaces.