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Rock candytuft is a low, spreading perennial that forms mats of white flowers in spring, grown in rock and alpine gardens. The key to success is full sun and very well-drained soil, as wet soil causes crown rot.
Iberis saxatilis, the rock candytuft, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to southern Europe and northwest Africa. The species is typically used as an ornamental rock and alpine garden perennial plant because of its decorative flowers and cascading growth habit. Iberis is so named because many members of the genus come from the Iberian Peninsula in south west Europe. The species name saxatilis means "growing among rocks," referring to the preferred substrate of this species.
Rock candytuft is typically grown in gardens that simulate the rocky alpine conditions of the plant's natural habitat. It thrives and flowers best in full sun with well-drained soil, but will tolerate partial shade. Poorly drained soil often causes crown rot in this species.
The natural range for this species is Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Balkan Peninsula, the Crimean Peninsula, and Morocco. In 2017, a new subspecies—Iberis saxatilis subsp. magnesiana—was identified in Turkey.
Annual candytuft · Gibraltar candytuft · Evergreen candytuft · Candytuft
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iberis saxatilis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
