Iberis Absolutely Amethyst

Iberis Absolutely Amethyst is the first evergreen and hardy perennial variety with violet flowers in spring instead of white. Its umbels of small flowers in a light purple colour, enhanced with small golden yellow stamens, rise above a cushion of dark and persistent foliage, effectively covering the ground throughout the year. This very durable perennial plant is also remarkably sober, even in the lean and dry soil of a rockery or a sunny border. It also grows very well in pots, where it will only require a few waterings.

Iberis sempervirens is an undershrub of the Brassicaceae family, native to the Mediterranean region. This plant perfectly tolerates heat and drought once well established and prefers well-drained soils. Absolutely Amethyst is a recent hybrid cultivar, somewhat revolutionary due to its mauve-pink flowers, a colour never before observed in the species. Its dark green and evergreen foliage is composed of numerous small oblong and narrow leaves, measuring barely 2cm (1in). They are carried by woody stems that form a dense tuft measuring 30 to 35cm (12 to 14in) in height and at least 40cm (16in) in width. The persistent cushions of Absolutely Amethyst are covered from April to June with flat and compact clusters of inflorescences measuring 5cm (2in) wide, 4 to 6 weeks after the white-flowered varieties. They consist of very small four-petalled flowers in a mauve almost pink colour, animated by the ballet of pollinating insects.

Highly resistant to drought once well established, Iberis Absolutely Amethyst is content with any type of well-drained soil, even poor and limestone. It is particularly decorative, hardy down to at least -15°C (5°F). To enliven and add luxuriance to a rockery or stony and difficult soil, this variety is essential. It coexists with aubrietas, arabis, cerastium, moss phlox, Stachys lanata, cerastostigma, teucrium, along pathways and patios, emphasizing the front of flower beds and completing the range of colours of each. It also finds its place in container compositions and can be combined with spring bulbs in pastel shades, such as Hyacinth 'China Pink' and tulips from the Harmonie Bruges collection, for example. Growing in pots is perfectly possible, with regular watering in well-drained substrate.