Iberis sempervirens
Approx. 0.5 litre pot
About this cultivar:
Iberis sempervirens (evergreen candytuft, perennial candytuft) is a spreading subshrub. One of our spring-blooming favourites, we have it cascading over rocks and walls, next to a path and as groundcover. The glossy, evergreen foliage forms a billowing mound, with many fragrant, pure white flowers. Sempervirens means "always green", referring to the evergreen foliage. I think it should be "always great".
- Position: Full sun, partial shade
- Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
- Flowers: May, June, July
- Other features: Grows well in Ballyrobert, Great Ground Cover
- Hardiness: Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert!
- Habit: Mat forming, trailing
- Foliage: Evergreen
- Height: 15 - 25 cm (0.5 - 0.8 ft)
- Spread: 15 - 45 cm (0.5 - 1.5 ft)
- Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
- Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Colour: Green, white
- Goes well with: -
About this genus:
Iberis (I-ber-is) gets its name from Iberia, the ancient name for what we called the PIGS when I worked on Wall Street- Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. Commonly called candytuft, it is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the cabbage family (Brassicaceae). It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World - we only grow and sell the evergeen perennial, Iberis sempervirens. The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but derives from Candia, the former name of Iraklion on the Island of Crete. So don't eat it!
Iberis are often though of as rock plants that need a bit of dryness, however the cultivars we sell grow perfectly fine in our garden at Ballyrobert where it is wet heavy clay. Just don't put them anywhere too extreme - they don't like the wet very much. We plant ours at the front of borders, on a wall and beside a path. They can also be used as groundcover. I think they have a nice woodland feel even though they like full sun!
