Alyssum

Alyssum, most commonly referring to sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), is a charming and popular annual or short-lived perennial flowering plant, widely used for its delicate appearance and fragrant blooms. While the genus Alyssum primarily contains perennial species native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, the widely cultivated sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is native to the Mediterranean Basin, thriving in sunny locations with well-drained soil. In regions with mild winters like Phoenix, Arizona, it is often grown as a cool-season annual, flourishing during the cooler months and providing continuous bloom.

Its most distinctive characteristics include its low-growing, spreading, and mat-forming habit, typically reaching only 4-8 inches in height but spreading up to a foot or more, creating a dense carpet of flowers. The tiny, ovate to lance-shaped leaves are a fresh green or grayish-green. The true beauty of Alyssum lies in its profuse clusters of tiny, four-petaled flowers that completely cover the foliage. These flowers are intensely fragrant, emitting a sweet, honey-like scent that attracts pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. While the classic color is white, popular cultivars are available in shades of pink, purple, and even yellow. Blooming is incredibly prolific, often occurring continuously from fall through spring in mild climates like Phoenix, and through summer in cooler regions. Its rapid growth, ease of cultivation from seed, and ability to fill in spaces quickly make Alyssum an excellent choice for groundcover, edging paths, rock gardens, containers, window boxes, and spilling over walls, adding a delicate touch, delightful fragrance, and continuous color to almost any garden setting.