Aethionema Grandiflorum

Description

This low-spreading, bushy perennial with racemes of pink to lilac coloured flowers, forms compact, mounding, evergreen shrubs in rock gardens or as front edging along borders. It comes originally from the cool limestone highlands of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor where it thrives in a loose, well-drained, neutral-to-alkaline soil. In the garden, where this lovely plant will spread easily by self-seeding, it can be pruned lightly to maintain shape. Distinction: Award of Garden Merit (A.G.M.) from The Royal Horticultural Society.

Sowing Advice

Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.

Key Facts