Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Sweet alyssum forms low mounds covered in tiny, honey-scented flowers in white, pink or purple. It is perfect for edging, pots and hanging baskets in winter, and attracts helpful insects to vegetable gardens.
Photo: w0zny · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Keep the soil lightly moist.
Soil
Well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.5.
Temperature and humidity
0–28 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Feed lightly once a month.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Shear plants by a third when flowering slows to encourage a new flush.
Sweet alyssum is not toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow directly in October.
Plant among vegetables to attract hoverflies.
Fills gaps in pots of taller flowers.
Fades in hot weather.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →PestCaterpillars
The larvae of moths and butterflies, which chew holes in leaves, flowers and fruit and can strip a plant in days.
How to treat it →DiseaseDowny mildew
A water-mould disease that causes yellow patches on top of leaves and grey-purple fuzz underneath, spreading fast in cool, wet weather.
How to treat it →
