''Aurinia saxatilis'' ( syns ''Alyssum saxatile'', ''Alyssum saxatile''

var. In botanical nomenclature, variety (abbreviated var.; in la, varietas) is a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form. As such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name. It is sometimes recommended that the ...

''compactum'') is an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and enterta ...

to Asia and Europe.

Common names

Some of the common names reflect its close relationship and resemblance to species of ''

Alyssum ''Alyssum'' is a genus of over a hundred species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. The genus comprises annual and perenn ...

''. Common names include basket of gold,''Aurinia saxatilis'' at USDA Plants Database Profile
/ref> goldentuft alyssum, golden alyssum, golden alison, gold-dust, golden-tuft alyssum, golden-tuft madwort, rock madwort.

Description

This is a little, rounded,

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

that can grow from 4 to 12in high, forming a mound up to 16-20in across. The flowers are clear yellow, but the various

cultivars A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

produce flowers in white, cream, lemon, peach or gold.

Cultivation

Since its natural habitat is rocky, mountainous country, it is ideal for a rock garden, for dry, sloping ground, or for edging garden beds, provided the drainage is excellent. It is also ideally suited for troughs and the edges of large pots, perhaps containing a shrub. Although perennial, some gardeners grow is as part of an annual spring display. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. It has also been selected as one of the "RHS Plants for Pollinators" which "provide nectar and pollen for bees and the many other types of pollinating insects." Following a "rigorous trial and assessment programme" the RHS determined it to be robust, with both colour and form as "stable". It is largely pest and disease-resistant. Several cultivars are available: 'Citrina', with paler yellow blooms than the ordinary form; 'Dudley Neville' with golden yellow or tan-tinged blooms sometimes described as "biscuit"; and 'Variegata' with cream-margined leaves.

Growing methods

Aurinia grows best in an open position in full sunlight. Ideally the soil should contain plenty of chalk, sand or grit, and be free draining but not rich, but the plant is among the "indestructibles" and adapts readily to a wide variety of soils. It may be propagated readily from seed sown in the fall, or from tip cuttings taken in late spring and early summer. Space the plants about 4in apart, giving them plenty of growing room. Aurinia is widely available at garden centers, so home propagation is not really necessary unless you have an unusual form or need great numbers of plants. Small amounts only of complete plant food may be given in early spring as a boost, but feeding is not essential. To keep Aurinia tidy, it can be sheared back quite hard with clippers, unless you are waiting for the seeds to ripen. Shearing the plant also helps to keep a compact, neatly rounded shape. No specific problems are known besides poor drainage. Over watering pot-grown specimens can quickly rot and can kill the plants

Flowering

Flowers appear from mid-to late spring, the flowers completely covering the plant and hiding the foliage. The flowers are generally considered not suitable for picking but may be used in

nosegay A nosegay, posy, or tussie-mussie is a small flower bouquet, typically given as a gift. They have existed in some form since at least medieval times, when they were carried or worn around the head or bodice. Doilies are traditionally used to b ...

s and tussy-mussies.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158226 Brassicaceae Garden plants of Asia Garden plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus