Evergreen candytuft Seeds - Iberis sempervirens

Iberis sempervirens, also called evergreen candytuft or perennial candytuft, is native to Southern Europe and is an ideal subshrub for rock gardens or window boxes. Evergreen and hardy, this plant turns into a carpet of snow in April, covering its small, dark foliage with rounded clusters of scentless, pure white flowers. Sown outdoors in spring, it blooms the following year. Grow in moist to dry, well-drained soil in the sun.

Iberis sempervirens is widespread throughout Southern Europe, North Africa, Syria, Turkey, Albania, Greece, Crete, Italy, Spain, France and the former Yugoslavia. This plant of the family Brassicaceae, formerly known as Crucifereae, can be found at altitudes of up to 2000 m. It is a low evergreen subshrub that forms small mounds, 30 cm in width and in height. The woody stems are covered with very small and thin, dark green, evergreen leaves. From April to June, depending on the climate, its cushions are covered with pure white inflorescences, composed of very small white flowers gathered in rounded clusters.

With its evergreen foliage and striking blooms, the evergreen candytuft is fantastic in borders, emphasizing the contour of a pathway or the round edges of a flowerbed. It can also be planted in small drifts, between the stones of a rock garden where it will stay decorative for most of the year. This species adapts well planted on low walls or in their interstices, in the company of Aubrieta, houseleeks, sedums and the Carpathian harebell. This candytuft can be used to decorate bowl planters, window boxes and the bases of drought-tolerant perennials or shrubs.  For best results in terms of flowering, place it in the sun in any well-drained, preferably limestone soil.