Violet Knight Sweet Alyssum

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

6-18 Inches

Mature Spread

1-2 Feet

Engulf a garden bed or planter in a lush carpet of sweet-smelling flowers when your plant Sweet Alyssum. This perennial plant grows in a mat and can trail up to 24 inches, making it an excellent option for a hanging basket or a ground cover. The tiny 4 petal purple flowers grow in an inflorescence or clusters. This prolific blooming plant will have flowers in the spring and summer and will have so many flowers it can be hard to spot the small green leaves that also adorn the stems.

Violet Knight™ Sweet Alyssum or Lobularia maritima is native to Europe. This plant is prized for its trailing abilities, making it popular to use in containers as a spiller. While Sweet Alyssum really shines in an upright planter or hanging basket, it’s versatile and can also be used in borders, edging, ground cover, landscape, or mass plantings. This plant is temperature tolerant, so exposure to chilly temperatures in the spring and fall or warm temperatures during the peak of summer is not a problem. Violet Knight™ Sweet Alyssum is known to bring butterflies and bees to a space, and it is grown as a perennial in USDA zones 9, 10, and 11. This flowering beauty is grown as an annual in other zones.

Violet Knight® Sweet Alyssum Plant Care

Violet Knight™ Sweet Alyssum is relatively easy to grow, but this plant prefers evenly moist soil. The plant quickly shows signs of dehydration but will bounce back once it gets a nice, long drink. Plants grown in hanging baskets typically need water daily or every other day, but Sweet Alyssum grown in a basket may need water several times per day on scorching days. This plant needs sun or part sun, so an area with at least 4 hours of sunlight can support this fast-growing bloomer. The more light the plant receives, the faster the soil will dry out, so keep that in mind. Sweet Alyssum prefers rich, loamy soil with a neutral pH. 

Fertilize Violet Knight™ Sweet Alyssum in the spring and feed again using a water-soluble fertilizer in midsummer. Plants in containers can be fed once a month to maintain growth and continue to push out flowers. Pruning is not usually necessary, but this vigorous grower can overtake walkways and beds, so trim it back if it overwhelms a space.

Violet Knight® Sweet Alyssum Plant Spacing

Violet Knight™ Sweet Alyssum grows 8 to 12 inches tall and almost forms a mat of flowers, so space plants 12 to 18 inches when planting in the ground. The plant typically spreads out about 18 to 24 inches and will fill in the surrounding space. Expect the Sweet Alyssum to trail up to 24 inches for a dramatic look in a container.

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