Growing Guide
 
plant thumbnail

Candytuft, Evergreen

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Also known as Edging Candytuft
Iberis sempervirens
Brassicaceae Family

With its small, white, cloud-like flowers, this small evergreen perennial is perfect for edging or cascading over rock-wall ledges.

arrow
arrow
arrow
Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun
May tolerate very light shade, but needs full sun for best flowering.

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
Prefers slightly alkaline soil but will grow quite well in almost any soil.

Hardiness zones:

  • 5 to 9

Special locations:

  • rock gardens
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.5 to 1 feet

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

Bloom time: mid-spring

Flower color: white

Flowers may appear pinkish when nights are cool.

Foliage color: dark green

Some cultivars produce darker foliage than others.

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: low and trailing

Shape in flower: same as above

Plants are woody at the base. Cut back if they get leggy to restore shape.

Special Considerations
Tolerates:
  • heat
Special characteristics:
  • deer resistant
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Native to Southern Europe
  • evergreen
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation - Cuttings taken during midsummer root easily.

Maintenance and care:
To reduce sunscorch during the winter, cover foliage with evergreen branches.

Cut back woody branches every other year to avoid legginess.

More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Diseases:
Club root
Varieties
�Alexander�s White�: 8�-10� tall, very dense.

�Autumn Beauty�: 10� tall, flowers profusely in the spring, and again, although not as vigorously, in the fall.

�Little Gem�: 5�-8� tall. Pure white flowers.

�Purity�: 8� tall, very white, abundant flowers, and dark green leaves.

�Snowflake�: 8�-10�, large flowers (2-3�), and large leaves.

�Snowmantle�: more compact than �Snowflake�.