Characteristics
- Scientific name: Lobularia maritima
- Family: Cruciferous (Brassicaceae)
- Synonyms: beachsilverweed, scented stone rich, alyssum
- Origin: Mediterranean, Azores, Canary Islands
- Growth type: perennial
- Growth form: cushion-forming
- Growth height: 10 cm to 40 cm
- Leaf: lanceolate to obovate
- Flowers: racemose, luxuriant
- Fruit: Pod
- Hardiness: not hardy
- Use: rock garden,
growth
Silverwort is an annual or perennial herb with fragrant, white inflorescences. The plant species from the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae) is native to the Mediterranean region. Larger deposits can be admired in the Azores and Canadian islands, mostly on sandy beaches and other coastal locations. In this country, the Mediterranean beauty of flowers is often planted in rock gardens. By self-seeding, sea silverwort can survive for many years in one location north of the Alps, which can be misinterpreted as hardy growth. Here is a summary of key growth data worth knowing:
- growth habit: spreading densely bushy, forming cushions.
- growth height: 10 cm to 20 cm, rarely up to 40 cm.
- growth width: 15cm to 30cm.
- stem: ascending, densely hairy.
- Horticulturally interesting properties: undemanding, easy to care for, not hardy, tolerates pruning, flowers profusely, smells of honey, covers the ground, friendly to bees.
also read
- To what extent is the silver herb hardy?
- Cutting the silverweed - really necessary?
- Honey palm: hardiness and care
Lobularia maritima 'Snow Princess' transforms balconies and beds into a sea of white flowers
blossom
Silverwort's high esteem as a popular ornamental plant is based on these flower characteristics:
- inflorescence: spherical raceme with numerous individual flowers.
- single flower: fourfold (sepals 1.5 mm to 2 mm, petals 3 mm to 4 mm long).
- heyday: June to October (until December in mild winter regions).
- flower color: white (varieties also flower pink, blue, purple, yellow or pastel)
- special feature: aromatic honey-scented.
- flower ecology: hermaphrodite
Only a moderate nectar content is attested to individual Lobularia flowers. The exuberant abundance of flowers makes Alyssum nevertheless a popular destination for wild bees, honey bees and butterflies.
Sheet
If you want to look at the grey-green alyssum leaves, you have to hurry. The foliage of Lobularia maritima cannot be seen among the lush flower clusters. Before and after flowering, a silverweed leaf can be recognized by these characteristics:
- leaf shape: elongate-lanceolate to obovate, entire.
- sheet size: 2.5cm to 4cm.
- leaf color: grey-green
- arrangement on the stem: alternate
fruit
Typical Brassicaceae fruits with these attributes develop from withered, pollinated silverweed flowers:
- fruit type: sweetie
- fruit shape: squat-roundish to obovate.
- fruit size: 2 mm to 3 mm long.
Each pod contains a tiny seed per fruit compartment as a normal and light germ.
use
With its summer carpet of flowers, silver herb is a source of inspiration for imaginative uses. Be inspired by these planting ideas for picturesque arrangements in the bed and on the balcony:
| balcony | planting idea | bed | planting idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| flower box | hanging plant | groundcover | blooming Clematis underplanting |
| bucket | standard underplanting | bee pasture | Gap filler in the wildflower perennial border |
| Traffic light | hanging border planting | cottage garden | romantic strip of flowers on the picket fence |
| stone trough | concealing flower cushion of bald privacy bushes | natural garden | bee-friendly mixed hedge underplanting |
| Peel | fragrant table decoration | drywall | Flowers on the wall crown |
| Euro pallet flower box (hanging) | vertical wall greening | herbal spiral | blooming joint filler on the south side |
plant silverweed
Three ways lead to the summer silver herb blossom festival in the bed and on the balcony. You can buy ready-to-plant silverweed for around 3 euros, wait for the result of self-sowing or grow Lobularia from seeds. These planting tips explain how to do it right:
propagation
Silverweed grown on the windowsill or in the greenhouse starts the season with a vital growth advantage. All important framework conditions for the sowing at a glance:
| Silver cabbage sowing | key data |
|---|---|
| Time window | March to April |
| seed jar | shallow bowl |
| growing substrate | Coconut soil and sand mixture |
| sowing technique | Press light germinator firmly, do not cover |
| germination temperature | 18° to 20° Celsius |
| germination time | 8 to 14 days |
| lighting conditions | bright, no blazing sun |
| pricking | in groups in small pots |
| temperatures | 10° to 12° before planting out |
| Beginning of flowering | 7 to 9 weeks after sowing |
| propagation care | water sparingly, do not fertilize |
From the end of April you can sow silver cabbage seeds directly into the bed or balcony box. However, direct sowing postpones the beginning of the flowering period by several weeks.
Location, soil, substrate
At this location silver herb unfolds its optimum:
- Full sun until penumbra.
- On the balcony like to be sheltered from rain and wind.
- Temperature minimum: short-term 5° Celsius, long-term 10° Celsius.
In the garden, scented rock prefers a humus-rich, sandy-gravelly and calcareous soil. Suitable as a substrate for boxes, pots and tubs potting soil without peat content, enriched with coco fiber soil as a peat substitute and lava granules or sand for best permeability.
planting tips
Silverwort that is purchased or cultivated is easy to plant. You should spend a little time with the correct planting. The following planting tips refer to details worth knowing:
- The best planting time is mid-May, after the Ice Saints.
- Silverweed root balls are soaked with water before planting.
- The correct planting distance is 10 cm to 15 cm.
- Plant Lobularia as a hanging plant in containers at the front edge.
- A drainage of gravel or expanded clay(€19.00 at Amazon*) effectively prevents waterlogging in boxes and tubs.
Thorough watering on the day of planting and in the following period is obligatory so that silverweed can grow well.
digression
Note risk of confusion
Cultivate silverweed
Silverweed is easy to care for. However, the decorative plant should not be left to its own devices. Read these tips and tricks to find out what really matters when caring for your Lobularia properly:
Pour
- Water silver herb when the soil is noticeably dry (finger test).
- Run normal tap water directly onto the root disc.
- Aimed fire with the water hose calls mildew on the plan.
Fertilize
- Fragrant stone rich in the bed not fertilize.
- On the balcony a liquid every one to two weeks flower fertilizer(€15.00 at Amazon*) put in the water.
To cut
- Cut off wilted stems as soon as possible to make room for new flower clusters.
- A cut back by half after the first bloom motivates silver herb to a second flowering period until the first frost.
diseases and pests
The dense, bushy growth of silverweed arouses the desires of pathogens. Under the influence of warm, dry weather, powdery mildew can appear, recognizable as a white coating on the grey-green leaves. A rainy summer is just the thing for downy mildew, recognizable as grey-brown fungus on the undersides of the leaves. As an immediate measure, cut off infected parts of the plant. An effective home remedy for fungal infections is a mixture of fresh milk and water in a ratio of 1:5.
For gluttons snails silver herbs are a feast. Manual collection, moving barriers made of sharp-edged grit and coffee grounds have proven to be effective control methods. Omnipresent aphids can be effectively combated with a curd soap/alcohol solution, which is also available from specialist retailers.
Popular Varieties
These beautiful silver herb varieties apply for a place in the summer garden and on the balcony:
- Tiny Tim: Standing silverwort classic with white, fragrant flowers from May to October, height of growth 10 cm to 20 cm.
- Rosie O Day: Pink scented stoneweed as an annual hanging plant in the window box or flowering groundcover in the summer garden, growth height 10 cm to 20 cm.
- Large Beach Silverweed: Lobularia maritima var. benthamii as the big brother of 'Tiny Tim' with a growth height of 20 cm to 40 cm.
- king carpet: Premium variety from Dürr-Samen with blue-violet flowers and a height of 10 cm, beautiful as bed edging, ground cover and a splash of color in rock gardens.
Alyssum 'Colorful Cushions': Colorful seed mix in picturesque pastel shades from salmon pink and apricot to pink, yellow and white.
FAQ
Is silverweed poisonous?
Silverweed (Lobularia maritima) is not poisonous. The plant parts do not contain any harmful ingredients. For this reason, the summery bloom beauty is perfect for the family garden with pets.
With which flowers can you plant silver herbs together?
Good planting partners for silverweed (Lobularia maritima) are annual flowers with a similar growth height and flowering time. Picturesque contrasts are created with blue flowering men's faithful (Lobelia) and liver balm 'Bluecap' (Ageratum). With silver herb 'Snow princess' and dark red Nasturtium 'Crimson Emperor' (Tropaeolum majus) stage a white-red color festival in the hanging basket.(€11.00 at Amazon*) In combination with hanging petunias (Petunia hybrida) and hanginggeraniums (Pelargonium peltatum), silver herbs stage themselves as flowering cascades.
Is silver herb perennial and hardy?
In the Mediterranean area silverweed thrives perennial. In sheltered locations on the Azores or the Canary Islands, fragrant stone can bloom profusely all year round. In the Mediterranean climate, seaweed has not learned to survive in frost. North of the Alps silverweed dies after the first night frost. Nevertheless, in this country the impression of growth lasting several years is often created, because self-sowing silverweed can remain at the location for many years.
