Aubrieta gracilis Kitte White

Aubrieta 'Kitte White' has compact and dense growth, of a very neat appearance, with large white flowers.  It is a selection that will particularly suit flower beds and hanging baskets. It blooms in spring, forming delightful snowy cushions visited by pollinating insects. The rest of the year, its small evergreen to semi-evergreen leaves will continue to enhance the garden. This little perennial is easy to grow in well-drained soil, in full sun. Aubrietas are essential when it comes to enhancing a wall, a rockery, between paving stones or a large flower bed.

The hybrid aubrietas from the 'Kitte' series belong to the Brassicaceae family and are mostly derived from Aubrieta gracilis, native to the mountainous regions of Greece and Albania. They are rhizomatous plants with a compact and spreading habit, forming cushions that do not exceed 15 cm (6in) in height and spread up to a maximum diameter of 30 cm (12in). Their semi-evergreen to evergreen leaves in winter, depending on the climate, are a fairly dark green with a slight greyish hue and have an oval shape. In summer, the foliage sometimes turns yellow if it becomes too dry, but will green again with the first rain. The small leaves end in a point and have roughly serrated margins.  In spring, between April and early June, this 'Kitte White' variety is covered with countless small flowers measuring 1.8 cm (1in) in diameter, with four pure white petals and a small yellow centre. These are very hardy plants that can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C (1°F).

With its spreading and uniform growth, aubrieta is ideally suited for border planting. Undemanding in terms of soil, as long as it is not too dry, it also thrives in rockeries or on flowering walls: it creates beautiful carpets and swathes of colour, like an Impressionist painting. It quickly colonises the ground, making it suitable for planting on a sunny slope. Between paving stones or in the crevices of walls, aubrietas are fabulous companions for other rockery perennials such as alyssums, Iberis, and campanulas.  They also work well in planters and hanging baskets or at the base of other upright plants, with their stems cascading over the container to hide its edges.