How to Grow Sweet Alyssum (Carpet Flower)

Simply sprinkle seeds in the soil bed and lightly press them into the soil. Keep the soil evenly moist and they will germinate within one week. Grow alyssum tightly together in groups spaced only 6 inches apart to create a quicker flowering carpet effect. Keep alyssum well-watered during hot, dry weather.

Does alyssum grow back every year?
Where does alyssum grow best?
How do you care for sweet alyssum?
Do alyssum flowers spread?
Is alyssum poisonous to dogs?
How long does it take for sweet alyssum to grow?
When should I plant alyssum?
Does alyssum bloom all summer?
Is Sweet alyssum an annual or perennial?
Should you cut back alyssum?
Is Sweet alyssum invasive?

Does alyssum grow back every year?

Will alyssum come back? The answer is, yes, in most garden zones. Once the tiny flowers are spent, they will release seeds right back in to the ground. The easiest way to assure they reseed themselves is to do nothing when they die back.

Where does alyssum grow best?

Sweet alyssum flowers best with at least six hours of full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. In warmer climates, plants perform best with protection from hot afternoon sun.

How do you care for sweet alyssum?

Provide your sweet alyssum plants with at least an inch of water every week, watering them more frequently during hot or dry spells. Make sure the water drains well, otherwise the plant is susceptible to rot.

Do alyssum flowers spread?

Sweet alyssum flowers are among the most popular plants sold at garden centers in North America. Their popularity is largely due to their toughness and to the great number of blooms they produce. Because they stay short and spread sideways, Alyssum are highly versatile plants.

Is alyssum poisonous to dogs?

Some non-toxic plants for dogs are: Alyssum. Bachelors Buttons. ... Cornflower.

How long does it take for sweet alyssum to grow?

You can directly sow your seeds into the garden within a week of the last freeze date and watch them grow, but because they take about 50 days to reach maturity, you might have better luck starting your L. maritima indoors. Start your seeds about 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.

When should I plant alyssum?

Sow and Plant

Sow alyssum from early spring to early summer, and in autumn where winters are mild. Alyssum grows fast and often stops blooming in hot weather. Broadcast seeds into cultivated soil or containers about 2 inches (5cm) apart, and barely cover them with soil.

Does alyssum bloom all summer?

Alyssum is a low growing annual that is known for its carpet of sweet smelling white, violet or purple colored flowers. It grows and flowers best during the coolest parts of the summer in New England, but in northern and coastal areas can be in flower all summer long.

Is Sweet alyssum an annual or perennial?

Sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima, is a common annual flower plant. Lobularia maritima is a mat-forming annual or short-lived perennial native to the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Azores, where it grows along the coast in rocky, sunny areas.

Should you cut back alyssum?

Although this annual blooms dependably throughout summer and into fall, it looks better with occasional trimming. A light prune removes the spent flowers and leggy stems so the alyssum maintains its dense mounds of foliage and blooms.

Is Sweet alyssum invasive?

Lobularia maritima (Sweet Alyssum) is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. According to the U.S Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species, and for 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species.