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Yellow Alyssum Aurinia saxatilis

Phonetic Spelling
aw-RIN-ee-ah saks-ah-TIL-iss
Description

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:
Tags:
#showy flowers#drought tolerant#yellow flowers#cascading#naturalizes#rocky soils tolerant#garden walls#dry soils tolerant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#showy flowers#drought tolerant#yellow flowers#cascading#naturalizes#rocky soils tolerant#garden walls#dry soils tolerant
  • 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Ground Cover
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Cascading
    Rounded
    Spreading
    Maintenance:
    High
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Rock Wall
    Landscape Theme:
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Dry Soil