Yellow Alyssum Aurinia saxatilis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- aw-RIN-ee-ah saks-ah-TIL-iss
- Description
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Basket-of-gold forms as spreading, rounded mass, which looks at home cascading over a rock wall. Grows and flowers best in average to sandy well-drained soil in the full sun. In hot and humid summer climates it does appreciate some afternoon shade and can be challenging to grow. Clay soils will cause growth problems and root rot occur in poorly drained or consistently wet soil. After flowering, you can prune the plant to 1/2 its size to maintain shape and vigor. Propagates by seed in the early spring or dividing in the fall.
It is attractive as an annual cascading over a rock wall or in a naturalized area of the landscape.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aphids. Plants can be short-lived.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Aurinia
- Species:
- saxatilis
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central Europe to N. Balkan Peninsula
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ground Cover
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Cascading
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Bright yellow, gold, apricot corymbose panicles blooms appear April-May
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Velvety
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Oblanceolate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Gray green spatulate basal leaves (to 5” long) and smaller linear-oblanceolate stem leaves. Foliage remains attractive even after flowering.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Rock Wall
- Landscape Theme:
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
