AUBRIETA WHITEWELL GEM Purple Rock Cress
Perennial Groundcover "Rock Cress" Non-GMO 500 Seeds
No Fillers – Pure Seed
– Non-GMO – Safe Seed Pledge
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
FAST FACTS
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS:
AUBRIETA WHITEWELL GEM ROCK CRESS (PURPLE)
How to Plant Rock Cress Seeds
ABOUT ROCK CRESS: Rock cress would easily grow in the crumbling rubble of civilization since it needs little soil, is drought-tolerant, and takes hold and thrives in the cracks and fissures of rock and concrete. Its masses of four-petaled blooms all but hide its fine, dense green evergreen leaves; in spring and early summer it "mutates" into waves of violet, pink, or white, forming cascades over walls and rock borders.
There are about 25 Aubrieta species, all with similar growth profiles. Our current favorite is purple rock cress (A. deltoidea), which is often considered the genus standard. Even if your past gardening attempts have ended in cataclysmic disaster, you'll manage to grow a carpet of spectacular color if you give this plant a try.
NATIVE RANGE, HISTORY, AND MEDICINAL USES
Aubrieta (often mistakenly spelled "aubretia") is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family. It's native to western Asia and southern Europe. While we often think of this region as having a "Mediterranean" climate, rock cress is more of an alpine plant, native to the Southern Alps and the Himalaya.
The genus is named for Claude Aubriet (1665-1742), the illustrator for the famed and scientifically important book Élémens de botanique by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1636-1708). Aubriet also illustrated birds, insects, and mammals, but it's his botanical work for which he was—and, in scientific circles, still is—most famous.
All parts of Aubrieta plants are edible. Given that it's known to grow in areas where food and herbs are scarce, we were surprised that we weren't able to find any reliable sources describing the genus' history as a medicinal or culinary plant. If you have any information, please fill us in!
ROCK CRESS IN THE GARDEN
This is the ideal plant for the imaginative gardener. Think of Aubrieta as being a sort of living, color-changing modeling clay. It's best-known as a rock garden specimen, and in this role, it shines. Where many plants require deeper soil and more consistent moisture, rock cress thrives in the nooks and crannies between stones and rocks, as well as behind retaining walls; all of these environments channel water away from roots, but drought-resistant rock cress is cool with that. This is especially good if you're planning to garden when nothing but acid rain is available for irrigation. Opinions vary on whether rock cress prefers acidic or alkaline soils, but if there's no water at all, it has an advantage over other plants with similarly lush foliage and abundant blooms.
SEEDING TIPS FOR VERTICAL SURFACES
Google "Aubrieta" and you'll see examples of rock cress growing in gravity-defying plantings. One way to achieve this effect is to cram moist soil, sand, and Perlite mix into wall gaps, press in your Aubrieta seeds, and hope everything stays put. Or, you can dissolve a packet of Knox gelatin according to product instructions, make a paste with your substrate, and press it into any vertical hidey-hole you choose before you plant the seeds. The gelatin will serve as the perfect amount of nitrogen your young plants will need to get started, while at the same time, serving as a binding agent and a means of retaining moisture during the germination process.
Here's a cool seeding trick: First, go to the corner store and buy a Slushie-type drink. Be sure to get one of those straws with a spoon at the end. Mix some rock cress seeds with fine sand, scoop up a bit of the mix, and gently blow it into rock or wall fissures. Use a hand mister to keep the area moist until the plants emerge and quite literally take hold.
IDEAS FOR CONTAINER GARDENING
While you were online, you might have gone down the DIY
gardening rabbit hole—on Pinterest, or just browsing an image search.
Did you see all those wall-hanging planters filled with
purple rock cress?
Maybe the "pocket planters" used for living wall
designs?
Sedums, succulents, and air plants usually dominate those
pictorials, but in most situations, you can use rock cress instead.
Aubrieta, when planted in small hanging baskets and wall sconces, can completely engulf the container and take on fascinating shapes as it cascades over the edges. Try globe-shaped "Kokedama" plantings or a creatively-angled "gutter garden" approach. How about a gallon-sized paint can with rock cress "pouring" out into a brightly-colored puddle?
Go for the "Mass Effect" with Aubrieta. Terraform
your yard with carefully-planned hillocks of color or blanket large, neglected
areas of your garden. You can let your rock cress sprawl freely, or pinch and
trim it to maintain unnaturally circular mounds. Create visual "bread
crumbs" to draw attention to—or away—from a specific area, like your
weapons cache, for example.
Try interspersing rock cress with ground covers that bloom
at different times of the season or have different foliage textures: Ice plant,
mother-of-thyme, fescues, and alyssum are just a few. Just be sure to give each
species visual and spatial breathing room. Plant Aubrieta around your spring
bulb beds, or in sparse, low-maintenance schemes otherwise dominated by lonely
juniper shrubs. Aubrieta doesn't handle foot traffic, but you can grow it
between stepping stones and pavers. If a plant's damaged, you can always divide
another to patch up the gaps.
There really isn't any "wrong" way to landscape
with rock cress, as long as you respect its very basic cultivation
requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES
Rock cress is an evergreen herbaceous perennial in zones 4 through
9 (according to horticulture-savvy Oregon State University; other sources limit
the zones to 4 to 7) preferring warm—but not blazing hot—coastal and subalpine
climates. It's particularly popular in Colorado and Utah, thanks to its
tolerance of temperatures as low as -40°F and preference for mountain climates.
It's been a staple in traditional English cottage gardens for decades.
Aubrieta requires full sun for optimal bloom and foliage
density. Partial afternoon shade in hot regions is fine, but too much shade
will curtail flowering and produce bare, leggy stems. Provide it with
well-drained, sandy to a loamy substrate; it does best in poor or medium soils.
In fact, Aubrieta doesn't require much soil at all—it's evolved to take hold in
rock dust and whatever dirt is trapped in fissures and crevices.
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Aim for soil chemistry between 6.0 and 7.0 pH. Again, there
are conflicting recommendations, with some reputable sources calling for acidic
soil, and others swearing up and down that rock cress requires a bit of
alkalinity. All agree that neutral soils are just fine, and you can experiment
if you want to.
Moisture Requirements: Once established, let the soil dry in
between irrigation periods.
Plant Height: 6" to 8" tall; upright, flowering
stems may reach 12".
Plant Width: 2' spread.
Growth Habit: Mounding, spreading, cascading; some varieties
are climbers.
Bloom Period: April until early June.
Flowers: 1/2" wide, sweetly fragrant; typically dark
purple, with other species flowering in white pink, indigo, or lilac with
yellow centers.
Foliage: Narrow, spoon-shaped, deep green to blue-green
leaves form opposite pairs on branching stems. In some species, the leaves are
lobed or flat.
Rock cress is a hardy plant that rarely suffers from pests and diseases. Over-watering and poor drainage may cause fungal issues, particularly at the root base. Keep an eye out for the occasional aphid, but don't worry about deer!
Rock cress seeds are larger than most miniature ground covers, but they're still good candidates for scattering. Don't bury them too deeply, as they require some sunlight to germinate. Direct-sow Aubrieta seeds six weeks before your last frost, or press them into a fine, sand-amended seedling mix for indoor starts around this same period for a better head-start. We recommend growing rock cress from seed under fluorescent lights if you start them indoors.
Seed Treatment: None required
Seed Depth: 1/8" or surface-sow
Seed Spacing: Plant, transplant, or thin to 18"
intervals
Days to Germination: 10 to 21 days at 65°F to 70°F
Cell trays work well for "plugs," which can either
be transitioned into to 4" pots or transplanted directly outside. Be sure
to keep the planting sites watered with a gentle mist until the seedlings have
become established.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF ROCK CRESS (Aubrieta)
Maintain your Aubrieta by cutting back the branching stems after the bloom period has ended to maintain the plant's shape. New spring growth will be tidy, with prolific blooms. Don't over-fertilize your rock cress, since too much nitrogen will cause it to become leggy. A diluted, phosphorus-rich solution at the beginning of the flowering period will enhance bloom vigor, but it isn't necessary.
Aubrieta tends to peter out after a few years, so plan on sowing new plants every third season. You can also divide your existing plants in late fall. It may also self-seed, so watch out for volunteers.
WE SHIP FAST &
FREE!
Your orders ship the
next business date after payment via US mail. NO
TRACKING. You can add TRACKING for $3.50 additional (see shipping
charges).
ORDER $10+ in a day
and we will ship in a Padded Envelope with a 50+ Seed Wildflower Gift Pack!
ORDER $25+ in a day
and we will ship in a First Class Package with TRACKING and two 50+ Seed
Wildflower Gift Packs!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
If you don’t get your
item within 10 working days message us directly.
You do not need to do an
Ebay claim – just message.
Give us 48 hours to
answer (M-F).
FEEDBACK
30 Day Return Policy