Sweet Alyssum Rosie ODay

Sweet Alyssum 'Rosie O’Day' is a very pretty annual mat-forming plant that produces masses of small, delicate blooms in various shades of pink from June to September. This floriferous 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. 'Rose O’Day' 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 pink clusters with shades that range from vivid, purplish pink to pale rose.

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.