Meet the Candytuft
Candytuft | Iberis sempervirens
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a woody, low-growing, spreading shrub.
I have alternate leaves that have a leathery texture .
My leaves are long and linear, flat, dark green, and about 1"-1.5” in length.
My white blooms have a frilly, layered look. Each independent flower that makes up this bloom has four petals, in a scissors shape.
How big do I grow?: 6” - 1’ height and 1’ - 2’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun to part shade
Where I prefer to put my roots: I like moist, well-drained to dry soils. I prefer alkaline soils and do not tolerate poor drainage.
Hardiness: Zone 3-8
Original home: I am native to southern Europe.
Colors: White flowers. I am evergreen in warmer climates.
When I bloom: Spring to early summer.
Wildlife friends: If butterflies and bees are in the area, they may browse my white flowers.
Flora Fun Facts: I am a member of the Brassicaceae family, also home to vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.
More Info: Candytuft is a spring bloomer that creates snow-like garden carpets, yet signals warmer weather. This plant is valued for its plentiful, ornate blooms - layers of tiny, scallop-edged flowers.
The stems root when in contact with soil, creating new plants and easily spreading.
Great for a garden edge accent, along walkways, as a groundcover, in rock gardens, or at the edge of a wall (where it can trail).
This plant can be cut back after flowering to encourage new growth and a compact habit.
My flowers are long lasting, sometimes from early spring into summer.
Sometimes, the white flowers develop a hint of pink at the end of the blooming season.
There are varieties that bloom again in the fall (ex. ‘Christmas Snow’), as well as pink varieties (ex. ‘Pink Ice’).
