The illustrated growing guide
Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Family Brassicaceae
Grown as an annual
A fragrant, humble powerhouse — a low carpet of honey-scented flowers that blooms almost nonstop AND functions as an insectary: its blooms are a favorite of aphid-eating hoverflies, so smart gardeners tuck it among their vegetables for built-in pest control. It edges beds, spills from pots, self-sows, and freshens with a light midsummer shear. Beauty and biocontrol in one.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts bees
None winter chillI
Overview
Will sweet alyssum suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what sweet alyssum actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualSweet Alyssum at a glance
Common sweet alyssum problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow sweet alyssum: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate sweet alyssum
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The year
What sweet alyssum asks for, month by month.
The sweet alyssum year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The sweet alyssum year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar bloom
- Apr bloom
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Sweet Alyssum in the garden system
- Groundcover layer annual
- Nectary/insectary
- Living mulch
What sweet alyssum is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of sweet alyssum, ruled as a catalogue.
Best sweet alyssum varieties & cultivars
'Snow Crystals' (white); 'Royal Carpet' (purple); 'Snow Princess' (heat-tolerant, sterile, vigorous)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to sweet alyssumyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Sweet Alyssum questions, answered straight.
Is sweet alyssum safe for kids and pets?
Sweet Alyssum is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate sweet alyssum?
From seed.
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Elsewhere
Where sweet alyssum sits in the library.
Nasturtium
Juniper
Blue Fescue
Hens and Chicks