Botanical Name: Aethionema grandiflorum
Family: Brassicaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Brassicales
Genus: Aethionema
Species: A. grandiflorum
Synonyms:
*Aethionema cordifolium Boiss.
*Aethionema levandowskyi Busch
*Aethionema pallidiflorum Hausskn. & Bornm. ex Bornm.
Common Names: Persian Candytuft, Persian stonecress
Habitat:
Persian Candytuft is native to the Middle East, Grows best in poor, dry alkaline soil but needs excellent drainage. Dislikes winter wet. Prune lightly after blooming to maintain a bushy habit. Although not a long-lived perennial, this will self-seed where happy. A terrific choice for sunny rock gardens and walls or alpine troughs. May need protection from browsing deer. May prove to be hardy in colder regions if snowcover is reliable.
Description:
Aethionema grandiflorum is a many-stemmed, short-lived perennial, typically forming 15 to 30 cm (at most 40 cm) tall spreading mounds. This is a low shrubby plant that forms a beautiful cushioned mound of soft blue-green needle-shaped leaves. Small clusters of light rose-pink blooms are produced over many weeks in late spring and early summer.
It has a self-supporting growth form. It has broad leaves. Persian Candytuft is a photoautotroph. Its foliage is evergreen, and it has up to 15 pink to lilac cruciform flowers borne on terminal racemes. It prefers alkaline soils.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethionema_grandiflorum
https://www.perennials.com/plants/aethionema-grandiflorum.h
