How to Grow and Care for Alyssum

Mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum) grows clusters of small, bright yellow flowers atop trailing grey-green foliage. The plant itself is evergreen, while the flowers bloom from mid-spring through summer. Native to Europe, nowadays mountain alyssum is most commonly seen in rock gardens.

Native to Eurasia, the prolific pale madwort has caught a foothold in much of the temperate world. This biennial produces winged seeds and has earned a reputation as a nuisance plant in many locations where it has been introduced.

Desert madwort (Alyssum desertorum) is an herb indigenous to parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It was introduced to North America, where it has become a weed in disturbed areas. In its non-native range, desert madwort out-competes native plants, including species that are threatened or endangered.

Yellow tuft is a resilient, herbaceous perennial with grey-green foliage and a profusion of small, bright yellow flowers that blanket its spreading mats of foliage in spring. Thriving in well-drained soils and sunny spots, yellow tuft is often found on rocky, calcareous substrates, where its hardiness to poor soils and drought reflects its adaptability and survival strategy in challenging environments.

Spiny madwort is a sub-shrub with rose-pink flowers and silver-green foliage. It is a cultivar of Alyssum spinosum, which normally has white flowers instead of pink. The name refers to these beautiful pink blooms, which helped it win the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.