Sweet Alyssum Oriental Nights

Sweet Alyssum 'Oriental Nights' is a mat-forming annual plant that produces masses of small, rich violet blooms from June to September. This very floriferous and fast-growing variety has an exquisite, honey-like fragrance that is a magnet to beneficial insects. A vigorous, undemanding, weather-resistant plant, perfect for rock gardens, coastal gardens or areas with poor, stony soil.

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima procumbens) is a popular herbaceous plant from the Brassicaceae family, alongside cabbage and mustard. It is native to southern Europe and more particularly the Mediterranean basin. It is widely grown as an annual ornamental plant and there are a great number of cultivars to choose from. 'Oriental Nights' has a compact habit (12 cm high, 25 cm wide), forming dense, spreading mounds of flowers which are ideal for softening the edges of flowerbeds or combined with other annuals in hanging baskets and pots. It sets off upright flowering plants by forming a small cushion at their base, hiding unsightly stalks and giving them an overall fuller appearance. The small, alternate, lance-shaped leaves are grey-green and slightly hairy. The 5-mm-wide flowers have 4 petals. They are gathered in clusters with shades that range from dark purple to violet-mauve and are great for attracting pollinators into the garden. The flowers are followed by small seeds that self-seed easily in light soils, although the new plants may differ from the parent plant.

This easy to grow, very low-maintenance plant does best in full sun in well-drained soil. It adapts well to a variety of soil types, even stony or calcareous, and will squeeze in just about anywhere: in the foreground of borders or beds, in rock gardens, over low retaining walls or as a filler in pots and hanging baskets.