Carpet your garden with gorgeous greenery, bright purple spring blooms and just a touch of cream variegation. Hardy throughout the UK down to -20°C.
This mat-forming perennial will cover your garden, container or wall with a carpet of gorgeous foliage, contrasting mid-green leaves with cream-coloured variegation on each leaf tip and bright purple flowers in the spring. Spreading up to a foot along the ground or cascading down, this versatile plant is great for growing in minimal soil and still spreading. Plant it in a pot or on top of a wall to watch it cascade down the sides in a fountain of colour. Keep your Rock Cress well-drained and feed it sun and you'll keep this plant happy, giving you blooms to enjoy in spring and greenery to cherish for the rest of the year round.
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Perennial
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Flower: mat forming
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Flowers April to July, foliage year-round
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Scientific Name
Aubrieta 'Dr. Mules Variegata' (Aubriet's plant, hybrid species, cultivar: Dr. Mules variegated)
Common Name
Variegated Rock Cress, Purple Rock Cress, False Rock Cress
Origin
This Genus originates in Southern Europe and Eastern Asia; native species are found in Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Türkey, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria Albania and Bulgaria.
Pruning Tips
Deadhead spent flowers throughout spring to encourage repeated blooming.
Wildlife Value
Provides nectar for pollinators, especially bees and various butterfly species
Positioning
Plant in full sun to partial shade, Rock Cress can handle exposed or sheltered spots.
Water
Rock Cress is drought tolerant, so only water in very dry weather; make sure the soil drains well so your rock cress won't be sat in a puddle.
Soil
Doesn't need to be top-quality, just make sure it drains well! This plant is adapted to rocky cliffs so just doesn't like to have soggy roots.
Food
It is not necessary to fertilise your rock cress.
Pet-safe
Yes - no toxicity reported, though it's best for the plant and your pets if they don't nibble too much!
Sprouts Top Tips
To keep your plant looking vibrant for years to come, keep an eye out for the centre of the mat becoming woody rather than green; when this starts to happen you can propagate your Rock Cress by pulling off a shoot and rooting in gritty soil; this way you'll have a whole new plant to replace the original when it starts to go bald in the middle!
