Armeria juniperifolia Bevans Variety - Sea Thrift

Ameria juniperifolia, much less well known than its close relative Armeria maritima, is a small creeping plant with pink flower heads belonging to the group of Spanish thrifts, often planted in rockeries and coastal gardens. This species is also called Juniper-leaved Thrift due to the appearance of its leaves, resembling conifer needles. Over time it forms dense and low evergreen cushions, covered by a multitude of pink pompoms in spring or early summer.

Armeria juniperifolia (synonyms Armeria caespitosa or Armeria maritima var. caespitosa) belongs to the family of Plumbaginaceae. It is a botanical species endemic to the mountains of central Spain, where it grows on siliceous soils, in a harsh environment battered by winds. It is a creeping perennial plant that forms low and very dense mats composed of multiple rosettes of small narrow, rigid and pointed dark green leaves. The mat does not exceed 5 cm (2in) in height (10 cm (4in) when flowering), and spreads over 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in). The flowering, abundant, occurs from April to June, varying in timing depending on the climate. The tiny 5-petal flowers are grouped in small clusters at the top of stems that rise above the foliage. The flower colour ranges from pale pink to deep pink depending on the plants.

This juniper-leaved Spanish Thrift is primarily a sun-loving plant for poor soil, that will fully take on its role as ground cover in rockeries, borders or the cracks between paving. It can be associated with other perennials that require similar growing conditions: sweet williams (classic but unbeatable for this purpose), as well as other small cushion-forming plants like woolly yarrow, creeping baby's breath, alyssum, everlasting Helichrysum angustifolium, snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum), or mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus). It can also be planted in an alpine garden or in pots, troughs and containers. A lovely miniature for a trough, a rocky slope, or a pot.