General Culture:

Grow in average to sandy, well-drained, dry soils in full sun. Avoid heavy clay soils. Best flowering is in full sun, however plant foliage appreciates afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Rots may develop in moist or poorly-drained soils. Cut back plants up to 1/2 after flowering to help maintain attractive form. In hot and humid summer climates such as the St. Louis area, this plant is difficult to grow well and can be very short-lived. In the deep South, many gardeners simply grow it in the manner of an annual by planting new plants each fall, enjoying the spring bloom, and removing the plants as the foliage depreciates in summer.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Basket-of-gold (species flowers are bright yellow) is a low-growing, spreading, semi-evergreen perennial that produces a profuse spring bloom that is particularly attractive in rock gardens, sprawled over rocks or cascaded over rock walls. It was formerly known as Alyssum saxatile and is still sometimes commonly called yellow alyssum. ‘Dudley Nevill Variegated’ is a cultivar that typically grows to 10” tall and spreads to 18” wide. It features panicles of apricot flowers in April and narrow, hairy, gray-green leaves (2-5” long) with irregular creamy white margins.