Alyssum: types and varieties, growing tips

HomeAll flowers that start with AAlyssum: types and varieties, growing tips

Cruciferous family. Homeland – Southern Europe, Siberia.

It is often difficult for small flowers to take their place of honor in the backyard, since the owners of flower beds prefer bright, tall ornamental plants with lush buds.

However, the alissum succeeded quite well, and was appreciated not only for the colorful inflorescences that bring revival to the flower garden, but also for a very pleasant rich aroma.

Alyssum helps to create interesting compositions in the garden in combination with different cultures and gives the site its own personality.

In total, there are about 100 species of alyssum in the world, of which 25 species are used for growing in the garden, and a small part is used to create rocky flower beds.

The remaining individuals are classified as wild. Many species grow in the dry rocky regions of the Mediterranean.

The article provides gardeners-tested tips for the successful cultivation of alissum flowers, as well as their description and photo.

Characteristics of the garden flower alyssum

According to the biological characteristics, it is a perennial and annual herbaceous plant with semi-lignified, strongly branching stems, forming strongly spreading, but at the same time very compact bushes from 15–40 cm high.

The leaves of the alissum plant are grayish, small, obovate, oblong, pubescent on top. Abundant flowering begins in May and early summer with lush tassels of flowers of different shades.

Small flowers of yellow, pink, purple and lilac are collected in rather dense racemose inflorescences.

Different types and varieties of perennial alyssum vary considerably in height. The fruit is a pod. Seeds are flat, small, germination lasts up to 3 years. Alyssum is primarily famous for its honey aroma.

Not everyone knows this plant called “alissum”, for example, many are sure that the name of the flower is “beetroot” or “mason”.

However, such names are relevant only for wild-growing specimens. Among the owners of household plots and flower beds, the garden flower alyssum has gained popularity quite recently.

Previously, it was rarely seen in the garden, due to small inflorescences and a small stem height.

However, it has been observed that this plant harmoniously complements irises, peonies, lilies and other flowers with lush buds, and its pleasant, strong aroma combines wonderfully with the fragrance of other flower plants in the garden.

Popular types and varieties of alyssum with a photo

Alyssum ordinary (A. idaeum) – a perennial species with a creeping stem, the length of which reaches about 10 cm. The leaves are oval, gray-green. Inflorescences are dense, apical, with four petal yellow flowers.

Pyrenean Alyssum (A. Pyrenaicum) – a dwarf species of alyssum, a herbaceous perennial up to 20 cm high with a pubescent stem and oval leaves with a silvery sheen. The flowers are small, white, collected in dense inflorescences. A characteristic feature of the species are brown anthers.

Alyssum raznostebelny (A. diversicaule) – a perennial species, the height of which varies from 5 to 30 cm. It has numerous stems raised upwards. The leaves are linear, bright green. Inflorescences hemispherical, dense, up to 25 cm in diameter, with yellow flowers. This type of alyssum is considered one of the most beautiful and is often used in landscape design.

Alyssum crooked (A. flexicaule) – perennial species, reaching up to 6 cm in height. The stem is thin, short. Flowers oval, grey-green. Small inflorescences with four-petalled yellow flowers.

Alyssum borage (A. alyssoides) – a perennial species up to 40 cm high with lignified roots and gray, pubescent, rising stems. The lower leaves may be obovate or oblanceolate. Upper leaves are narrow. The flowers are arranged, about 0.5 cm long.

The photo of this type of alissum, presented below, will help evaluate its decorative qualities and, perhaps, encourage the gardener to replenish his collection with another perennial:

Alyssum Dagestan (A. daghestanicum) – a perennial species, covered with gray scales, up to 25 cm high. The stems are densely leafy. The leaves are narrow linear or spatulate. Inflorescences are umbellate with pale yellow flowers.

Alyssum sea (A. Maritimum) is an annual plant species. In catalogs and on seed packages, it is often called lobularia. The description of this type of alissum flowers suggests that it is a herbaceous annual plant, sprawling or compact, from 10 to 40 cm high, strongly branching. The leaves are small, narrow-lanceolate, the roots are fibrous.

Raceme-shaped inflorescence of small white, pink or purple flowers that smell weaker. Blooms from late May to late autumn.

On the composition shown in the photo, alissum, obrieta, stakhis, tulips, arabis (rezuha) and iberis are planted:

Varieties of alyssum sea:
“Tiny Tim” -miniature bush 8 cm high. Lush inflorescences with brown flowers;

“Easter Bonnet Deep Rose” – rich pink flowers;

“Princess in Purple” – the variety is recommended for hanging pots. Stem length – 35 cm. Pale lilac flowers;

“Violet Konigin” – compact bush up to 15 cm in height. The flowers are purple.

Photos of famous varieties of sea alissum are shown above, probably many of them are already familiar to experienced gardeners involved in the cultivation of this crop:

Alyssum creeping (A. repens = A. transsil-vanicum) – popular perennial species. Homeland – Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Western Asia. Grows in the steppes and mountains at an altitude of 100–2400 m. Perennial 40–60 cm tall. The leaves are grey-green.

Basal leaves are oval or spatulate, collected in a rosette. Stem leaves are lanceolate. The flowers are bright yellow, 5 mm in diameter, collected in an elongated inflorescence. Blooms in late spring. Requires a sunny location with well-drained soil.

Easily propagated by seeds, which are sown in spring in open ground. Seedlings appear within a month at a temperature of +10–16 °C. Can be propagated by cuttings in late summer. Winters well.

The description of creeping alissum is supplemented with a photo that will help to consider this perennial, its characteristic differences from other species:

Alyssum mountain, or beetroot Gmelin, (A. montanum) is a perennial species. Creeping plant 10-15 cm high with numerous light yellow flowers forming umbrellas. The main decoration of the species is small and narrow evergreen basal leaves covered with star-shaped villi. Flowers are formed in early May and last for almost a month and a half.

Varieties of Alyssum mountain:
“Palette” – a variety of miniature flowers up to 10 cm high. Flowers of different colors: pink, lilac, white, brown, red and others;

“Gold Placer” – alyssum variety, which is an unusual spherical bush with narrow leaf plates and shoots lying on the surface of the soil. Inflorescences are small, but dense, racemose. The flowers are bright yellow;

“Pink rug” – a densely branched variety up to 12 cm high. The leaf plates are miniature, with a bluish tint and a pubescent surface. Flowers lilac-pink.

“Big Jam” – a variety 35 cm high with large flowers of white, lavender, light lilac, purple hues.

Alyssum ampelous –very spectacular view with strongly branching long shoots. The flowers are small, with an expressive pleasant aroma. Used in hanging pots.
The spiny stems of the prickly alyssum species (Alyssum spinosum) reach 50 cm in height. Pink or white flowers appear in late spring.

Alyssum silver (A. argenteum). A perennial species of a plant up to 80 cm high with flowering stems dying off annually. The leaves are pubescent on the underside, silver-gray. The flowers are lemon yellow.

Alyssum rocky (A. saxatile) – a strongly branched perennial plant 20-40 cm high. Rocky alissum is distinguished by a rather sloppy appearance. When describing an alissum plant of this species, it should be noted long grayish leaves (up to 20 cm in length), which form random basal rosettes, above which impressive peduncles (up to 50 cm in height) appear in early summer with small golden flowers collected in dense racemose inflorescences .

Often, especially on fertile soil, rocky alissum behaves like a weed, crowding out other plants. In order to facilitate the wintering of alissum and to stimulate growth, immediately after flowering, the shoots are cut to a third of the height.
Alyssum varieties of this species are distinguished by bright shades, a variety of colors and a sweet honey aroma.

Varieties and forms of rocky alissum:
“Compactum” – yellow flowers;

“Citrinum” – pale yellow;

“Fiore Rieno” – golden yellow;

“Golden Wave” – bright yellow;

Plenum – terry golden.

There are also such varieties of alyssum:
“Pink Queen” – a dwarf plant with a height of 10 – 20 cm, with small flowers and a honey smell. Forms a dense carpet of delicate lilac-violet color;

“Snow Carpet” – the most popular among gardeners. The information is the same as for Pink Queen Alyssum, only this variety has a stronger aroma.

“Esther Bonnet” -annual variety, reaching up to 40 cm in height. Differs in compactness of the bush, strong branching, small leaves, dense inflorescences with bright purple flowers.

“Easter Hat” -early flowering, undersized variety about 20 cm high with abundant flowering. Suitable for decorating alpine slides, decorating borders, and can also take pride of place in a container on a balcony.

“Giga” – a fast growing and highly branching variety with large inflorescences.

“Aphrodite” – undersized variety with purple lush inflorescences. Looks very bright and beautiful.

This flower has a huge variety of species and varieties, which is proved by the selection of photos of alissums below, where you can see the features of the most popular and spectacular of them:

Requirements for growing conditions and care for alyssum in the garden

Not all novice flower growers know how to grow alyssum, so they often neglect this culture, but in vain. It belongs to those plants that need a minimum of care, but still the gardener must fulfill the basic requirements for growing in order for the flower to look healthy and well-groomed.

Location. When choosing a place, it is worth considering that the alyssum is photophilous, tolerates a slight penumbra. In addition, direct sunlight on hot days can adversely affect the condition of the leaves of the flower, which may wither or dry out. This culture does not tolerate drafts and strong gusts of wind.

The soil. Alyssum is an unpretentious herbaceous plant for open ground, with sufficient moisture, it blooms well and for a long time on any soil, but prefers light, neutral or slightly alkaline soils. The earth must be fertilized and contain a layer of drainage to avoid stagnation of groundwater, as this can provoke decay of the root system.

Watering. When creating optimal growing conditions for alyssum, it should be borne in mind that the main care for it is constant moderate watering. To do this, the end of the hose is lowered inward between the plants and the jet diverges along the ground in different directions, and the flowers are watered by sprinkling after shearing. Excess moisture is highly undesirable for this flower. To determine whether it is time to water, it is enough to dig the soil near the plant by 5 cm. If the earth is dry, it is time to add moisture. On hot days, the amount of watering will increase, and on cool days it will be minimized. It is noticed that the lack of moisture is reflected in the flowering of alyssum: there are fewer flowers, and the bush itself begins to be abundantly covered with foliage. From this, the decorativeness of the alyssum decreases.

Winter hardiness. When growing alyssum, it is also important that this flower is moderately winter-hardy, can tolerate light frosts down to -15 degrees, due to which it blooms until mid-October. Around this time, the plant is prepared for wintering – it is covered with dry foliage. When snow falls, I sprinkle it on top of the foliage. This shelter helps the alyssum survive the winter. In regions with a warm mild climate, shelter is not required.

How to care for alyssum – top dressing and pruning

Soil care. Growing alyssum in open ground includes a set of measures: after watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the flower and mulch to rid the plant of weeds and make the soil air and water permeable.
Top dressing. Top dressing has a positive effect on the health and appearance of a flower culture. Alyssum is fed 1-2 times over the summer with Agricola-7 and Rainbow fertilizer solutions (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or Flower organic fertilizer (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). After top dressing, they are watered from above with water from a watering can to wash off fertilizers from plants (top dressing with watering is carried out in the morning).
It is useful to know how to care for alyssum in dry soil, when the plant stops flowering and dries up, in order to maintain its decorative effect.
It should be well watered and cut off (leave 5–6 cm of the stem), fertilize abundantly with nitrogen fertilizers (dilute 1 tablespoon of urea and Agricola-7 per 10 liters of water), flowering resumes and lasts until deep frosts.
Pruning. In July, after the flowering of the alyssum begins to decline, pruning is performed – the bush is cut off by half or a third of the length. Such work is carried out when the fruits begin to form, but if the grower needs to collect seeds, pruning is delayed until the fruit appears. After pruning, alyssum quickly recovers, overgrown with new shoots and blooms again. After cutting, it is recommended to apply complex fertilizers.
For better flowering, faded shoots are pruned annually in the spring.

Alyssum seedlings: seed germination and planting in the ground

Most often, alyssum propagation is carried out by seeds, as this is an effective and repeatedly proven method by gardeners. Plants bloom the following year. Seeds are harvested many times a month after the start of flowering, when the fruits turn yellow, and then they do the work of germinating them.
In March – April, the seeds are sown in boxes or small pots filled with a light, nutritious substrate treated with a fungicide for preventive purposes. When planting an alissum on seedlings, you do not need to make holes for seeds, it is enough to evenly distribute them over the soil surface, sprinkle with a layer of sand and spray from a spray bottle. Seedlings are grown at a temperature of 16 – 20 ° C, covered with a film to create a home greenhouse or greenhouse. The greenhouse should be opened daily so that the seedlings are ventilated, and watering should be carried out as the substrate dries. Keep containers with seedlings in a sunny place, but not in direct sunlight. If, after planting the seeds of the alyssum flower, proper care is taken, the seedlings germinate in 8 to 12 days.
When the emerging young plants grow 2 leaves, you can transplant them into separate containers. In order to increase the bushiness of plants, it is recommended to pinch them. After about a month, it is possible to plant alyssum seedlings in the ground in a permanent place, if the seedlings have grown stronger. After 2 weeks, with proper care, young plants will begin to delight the gardener with their lush flowering.

Planting alyssum in open ground with seeds in spring

Many experienced gardeners plant alyssum seeds immediately in open ground, without resorting to growing seedlings. Work is carried out in the spring, when the air temperature does not drop below 15 degrees for several days. In central Russia, sowing is carried out in mid-April. In the south of the country – at the beginning of the month. In the northern regions, planting seeds is postponed until the beginning – mid-May.
Before sowing, it is imperative to cultivate the soil: dig, break up large clods, remove weeds. The soil should be light, fertile, the place is chosen on the sunny side, but not in direct sunlight. Seeds should be evenly distributed over the substrate and lightly sprinkled with earth, then watered. If planting is carried out in Siberia, the seeds must be covered with a film before germination. Usually, if the planting of the alissum is carried out correctly and further care for the seedlings in the open field is regular, the sprouts will break through in 7 to 10 days, and after 2 months the young plants will bloom.
Up to this point, you need to regularly care for the seedlings, weeding the soil around them, removing excess vegetation and watering. When planting plants in open ground, you need to remember that alyssum tends to grow, so the seedlings that have grown stronger must be thinned out, leaving an interval of 20-40 cm between them, depending on the variety.

Propagation of alyssum by cuttings and dividing the bush

It is more expedient to propagate this culture vegetatively in the summer season. With vegetative propagation of alyssum by cuttings, they are planted in a greenhouse or hotbeds at the beginning of summer, in open ground – at the end of summer. Parts of the bushes are planted at a distance of 35-40 cm. The area where the planting will be carried out should be with loose, nutritious soil. In order for the cuttings to take root quickly, you need to create the necessary conditions for them, ensure regular watering, high humidity and protection from direct sunlight. Adaptation of cuttings lasts from 8 to 10 days.
The work of propagating the plant by dividing the bush is best done in the fall. To do this, you need to carefully dig up the soil around the bush within a radius of about 20 cm, and then, trying not to damage the roots, remove the flower from the ground, place it in a spacious container and send it to a dark, dry, cool place for wintering.
In the spring, with the onset of warm days, the alissum begins to be carefully divided with a sharp knife into 4-5 parts. Each part must have at least 4 shoots. Delenki can be immediately planted in a place prepared in advance, allotted for them at a distance of 30 – 50 cm from each other.

How to grow alyssum without problems

Usually, growing alyssum in the garden, with good care, goes without any problems, since it is rarely affected by pests and diseases, but still, sometimes such a nuisance as a cruciferous flea may lie in wait for the grower. In order to get rid of it, you need to use chemicals, or spray the affected bushes with a solution of vinegar essence (1 tablespoon per 1 bucket of water). This method is not suitable for all plants, but only for adults who are well strengthened.
The pests of this flower are caterpillars. You can get rid of them by preparing an infusion of soap and tobacco at home.
If whites or cabbage moths are found on the flowers, lepidocide or entobacterin should be applied.
Also, when growing alyssum, the gardener may encounter the fact that the leaves of the flower begin to turn black. The most likely cause of this is powdery mildew disease. In the fight against the disease, the Topaz fungicide and Bordeaux mixture are effective.
With constant stagnation of moisture in the soil, there is a high probability of developing brown rot that affects the root collar and root system of the bush. The affected plant must be sprayed with fungicides or copper oxychloride.

How to use alyssum in the garden

Alyssum is easy to grow and easy to care for, in addition, it blooms profusely and for a long time, so it is often used in decorative home gardening, especially where it is necessary to create a colorful background for dominant plantings and specimen plants.
It is suitable for creating alpine slides, rocky areas, mixborders, garden walls or for mixed plantings with other low perennials. In rock gardens and rocky gardens, only perennial types of alissum are grown: mountain alissum, prickly alissum and rocky alissum. Alyssum white and red alyssum forms a white or red cloud of small flowers. Blooms throughout the summer.
Many flower growers sow alyssum in boxes on balconies. During flowering, the flowers emit an unusually pleasant aroma that penetrates through the open balcony doors into the rooms, this is especially felt in the evening.
The wonderful delicious honey aroma of flowers, especially white ones, attracts bees and other beneficial insects that help pollinate fruit and vegetable crops, which should be taken into account by gardeners.
The video here about planting and caring for alyssum will help gardeners deal with all the intricacies of growing this crop:

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