Lobularia maritima procumbens Raspberry Stream - Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia 'Raspberry Stream' is a new sweet alyssum from the 'Stream' series, covered in a haze of flowers in a captivating shade of pink. This annual plant stands out for its early and abundant flowering, tirelessly producing small clusters of flowers with a powerful honey fragrance. It forms dense cushions of medium vigour, with a semi-trailing habit that is as appealing in hanging baskets and flowerpots as it is in rock gardens or the crevices of walls. Despite its delicate appearance, this variety proves to be robust, heat-resistant, and drought-tolerant.

Sweet alyssum is an annual plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. This plant is widely cultivated in gardens and has given rise to numerous horticultural varieties, including the 'Stream' series, selected for its compact habit and highly fragrant flowering. Lobularia 'Raspberry Stream' forms herbaceous clumps with woody bases in a single season, reaching a maximum height of 25 cm (10in) and a width of 35 cm (14in). Initially resembling a weed, it then transforms into a clump of branching stems, adorned with glaucous green leaves that are alternate, simple, and entire, narrow (from lanceolate to linear), and somewhat hairy. The flowering, early for this variety, extends from May to September without interruption, completely covering the plant with tiny little flowers in a perfectly romantic mauve-pink hue, surrounded by delightful sweet and floral scents that attract numerous pollinating insects.

Underutilised in gardens, sweet alyssum can thrive in well-drained soils. They are perfect plants for covering the tops of walls, or the spaces between rocks in rock gardens at the base of perennials and drought-tolerant shrubs such as rockroses, shrubby salvias, lavenders, or rosemary. They can also be planted alongside pathways in well-drained soil. Planted vertically in the crevices of walls, 'Stream' Lobularia varieties form colourful cascades that blend well with garden irises in their simplest forms and wall bellflowers (Campanula portenschlagiana). They also perform very well in flowerpots and containers and make happy pairings with surfinias, calibrachoas, and ivy geraniums.

Note: Please note that our plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them in a sheltered location (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame etc.) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has definitively passed.