Associate the Iberis

In a sunny border

To brighten up a border in a garden, iberis is an excellent choice. You can use it to create monochrome borders or combine it with other colourful groundcovers. Pair for example the Iberis sempervirens ‘Snowflake’ in white, with the Aubrieta ‘Florado Rose-Red’ – Aubrieta gracilis, and the Purple Aubrieta ‘Cascade Purple’. At a height of 15 cm, they will form a carpet of alternating flowers from March to June.

You can also combine iberis with other groundcovers like Daphne cneorum, an evergreen montane undershrub that also loves the sun and well-drained soil.

Another idea is to pair the Iberis sempervirens white with brightly coloured petunias such as ‘Pure Raspberry’ petunias and Surfinia ‘Giant Blue’ petunias. Add Myosotis sylvatica ‘Savoie Blue’ to create a spread of flowering throughout the year and a beautiful gradient from white to violet.

Iberis sempervirens ‘Snowflake’, Aubrieta deltoidea ‘Cascade Purple’ and Petunia hybrid ‘Pure Raspberry’

As groundcover in a border or to fill the base of bushes

Iberis are groundcovers that brighten and outline flower beds. You can plant them in beds exposed to full sun. Combine for example the Iberis sempervirens ‘Masterpiece’ white, with botanical peonies – Paeonia humilis dark pink. Another idea is to pair white Iberis with Lily-flowered tulips ‘Ballerina’ and place in the background a Flowering Almond – Prunus glandulosa ‘Alba Plena’.

If you love spring bulbs, you can also combine them with white Iberis, which you can use to fill gaps and create a carpet of flowers. Plant for example some Iberis Sempervirens ‘Snowflake’, with hyacinths ‘Blue Pearl’ and hyacinths ‘Pink Pearl’. Add Darwin tulips ‘Delight’, or stunning checkered fritillaries in pink and white.

The Iberis sempervivens white can also be used to adorn the bases of shrubs like Forsythia (x) intermedia ‘Minigold’ – Mimosa of Paris, which offers yellow flowers in spring, or the clematis – Clematis ‘Rebecca’, which produces red flowers from June to September.

Iberis ‘Masterpiece’, Fritillaria meleagris, Paeonia humilis (photo Wikipedia) and Hyacinth ‘Blue-Pearl’

To brighten up a wall

Iberis carpets the ground with a cascading floral effect that beautifully spills over the edges of walls. You can take advantage of this carpeting effect to combine them together. Create beautiful floral cascades on a wall and install white Iberis such as Iberis sempervirens ‘Snowflake’ or Iberis sempervirens, along with Iberis sempervirens ‘Pink Ice’ in pale pink and Iberis ‘Absolutely Amethyst’ in violet. To play with contrasts and add some zest to your garden, accompany them with ivy and cascades of Nemesia ‘Sunsatia Plus Pomelo’ and campanulas from the walls.

Iberis sempervirens ‘Snowflake’, Campanula poscharskyana, Iberis ‘Absolutely Amethyst’ and Iberis sempervirens ‘Pink Ice’ (photo Leonara Enking)

In a rockery or on a bank

Iberis are the perfect plants for creating flowering rockeries. In a rockery, combine Iberis sempervirens ‘Snowflake’ or ‘Masterpiece’ with Helianthemum ‘Cerise Queen’ or double red rock rose, sand pinks, as well as  dianthus. You can also opt for Spanish lawn or Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Ballerina Lilac’ and accompany these flowers with blue fescues and grasses, such as Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’ or bottlebrush grasses.

Another pairing idea for a rockery is to plant Iberis sempervirens ‘Masterpiece’ with aubrietas ‘Royal Blue’, moss phlox, and small Iris reticulata ‘White Caucasus’.

To enhance a slope, combine Iberis sempervivens with other plants such as perennial wallflowers – Erysimum ‘Rysi Copper’ in light orange and houseleeks.

Iberis ‘Masterpiece’ (photo T. Kiya), Festuca glauca, Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Ballerina Lilac’, Sempervivum tectorum and Erysimum ‘Rysi Copper’

In a pot or a planter

Iberis grows very well in pots, and numerous colourful combinations are possible to brighten up your balcony.

For a spring flowering container in soft or pepsi tones, you can plant Iberis sempervirens in white and Iberis ‘Absolutely Amethyst’ in violet, along with Crocusminimus and Impatiens ‘Sunpatiens Compact Hot Coral’.

To create a spring flowering container in blue, yellow, and white tones, pair Iberis sempervivens with Alyssum saxatile ‘Goldkugel’ or basket of gold with yellow flowers, Cerastium tomentosum or mouse ear and Muscari armeniacum.

Another composition idea in white and yellow is to plant yellow ‘Camelot’ daffodils next to white bellis Daisy ‘Tasso Blanche’ – Bellis perennis and top it off with Iberis sempervivens.

Iberis sempervivum, Aurinia saxatilis ‘Goldkugel’ (photo Wikipedia), Muscari armeniacum and Cerastium tomentosum ‘Yo Yo’ (photo Wikipedia)

For further reading

Discover our complete guide on Iberis, as well as our Iberis collection!

And to avoid any failures, we recommend planting appropriately. Feel free to adopt our Plantfit web application!