Alyssum: How to Grow it and Keep it Sweet

Sweet Alyssum is a delicate carpet of snow flowers that are tiny yet offer a sweet scent. Alyssum flowers have a low-growing foliage that is commonly covered in a carpet of snow flowers for most of their growing season. Alyssums are fairly easy to grow, whether you are working with a plant or seeds, as well as indoors or outdoors.

This is a cool-season flower that has a bloom time of early spring, but in frost-free climates, alyssum flowers can also be grown in fall and winter. Most varieties of Lobularia Maritima alyssum flowers will fade in full sun and the heat of the summer, but they will bloom again in the fall.

About Alyssum Flower

Sweet Alyssum is a stunning flower that is hardy to both heat and drought, making it fairly easy to grow. With this hardiness, you will not have to search for long to find the perfect spot for these flowers, making them stand out from other plants that you may want to have in the garden.

This form of Lobularia Maritima can thrive in a range of locations around the United States, so you do not have to search very far to have an attractive garden – no matter where you are based. Sweet Alyssum flowers have a sweet, lively fragrance and are part of the mustard family. The flowers are white, which creates an appearance of a carpet of snow crystals in any outdoor space that is fit for a snow princess or similar fairy tale creature.

They do not grow much more than about 6 inches tall or a few inches wide for the flowers, so they can take over a range of spaces. As they are part of the Lobularia maritima family, sweet Alyssum can self-sow and will come back every year, offering years of bright white flowers in the fall. They thrive especially well in milder climates.

How to Grow Sweet Alyssum

To grow Sweet Alyssum and see their healthy white flowers return each year, you need to search for their particular needs. All plants have their own specific set of needs when it comes to light, shade, and watering so if you want to have enough Sweet Alyssum, Easter bonnet, or similar Alyssum plants to cover a range of spaces, then you need to know how to take care of this plant.

Light

Sweet Alyssum loves full sun, but it cannot thrive in prolonged dry periods, which can make it difficult to take care of in desert locations and gardens. If you live in a milder climate, then planting these white flowers in a patch that receives full sun during their bloom time is a great way to keep them healthy. However, if you live in a hot and dry location, then planting Sweet Alyssum in a location of partial shade is best.

The partial shade will prevent the foliage from becoming scorched in the sun, while also offering protection from the drought conditions. Even when they are in partial shade, make sure to regularly water this plant as often as is required and ensure that the flowers see some light for them to bloom properly.

Soil

Sweet Alyssum plants prefer a loamy soil, and they thrive best in these kinds of conditions. If you are growing these plants in a garden, then it is best to use it as a ground covering due to the dense white flowers it produces. Naturally, Sweet Alyssum plants are found on sand dunes and beaches. However, Alyssum plants can also grow on cultivated fields, as well as other locations such as on walls, slopes and even in cracks in the sidewalk.

This is an attractive plant that does not grow much more than 6 inches tall and around a similar number of inches wide, meaning it can take over a range of locations with ease.

Water

Sweet Alyssum requires at least an inch of water weekly. During hot and dry spells, make sure you provide more water and take time to search the soil to see which areas need more care. You must ensure that the water drains well in the soil. Without the water draining away, these Lobularia plants are susceptible to rot, which means they will not come back again in the fall. For more information on how often you need to water your plants, leave your email address below.

Fertilizer

Most plants require some kind of fertilizer to grow full and healthy. However, one of the reasons why Alyssum plants can be so easy to take care of is the fact they do not require any additional feed. Alyssum plants should not require any additional fertilizer unless the soil you are using is poor. If this is the case, then you will need to search for a good water-soluble fertilizer to give to them.

If this plant is in a container, then it will require more water and the feeding of fertilizer to help it grow as well as in-ground variants.

Temperature and Humidity

Based on the season and the temperature of the time of year, gardeners will see different leaves and flowers bloom. Each plant type requires special environmental factors to bloom, which is why it can be challenging to keep some types alive all year long. Alyssum is a plant that repeats bloom, which means that it should come back every year, although some variants of this plant do stop flowering in hot temperatures.

To find out what other flowers come back every year to keep your garden colorful, no matter the season, sign up to our website with your email address. We can provide regular newsletters and information to help your garden bloom.

Can I Grow Alyssum from Seed?

It is possible to start Sweet Alyssum from seed or plant, but some new cultivars of this plant are not available as seed. Seedlings of Alyssum are widely available at nurseries in the spring and fall when they start their growth. To see which local nurseries have seedlings available, sign up with your email address to receive more details.

If you are wanting to start this flowering plant off from seed, then this can be quite easily done in the right climate. Simply spread the seeds and press them down to ensure good contact with the soil in your garden. While pressing the seeds down, make sure they still have good exposure to light. Until germination, you will need to keep the soil moist and make sure to water it whenever it becomes dry.

It is possible to start Alyssum seeds both indoors and outdoors. Once the soil is warm to the touch, they can be grown outside. For indoors, wait until around 8 weeks before your first frost date. For more information regarding various plants and how to grow them, please sign up using your email address.