Aubrieta Purple Cascade

Aubrieta 'Purple Cascade' forms in spring carpets of small flowers of a very pure light purple. This pretty flowering perennial plant is easy to grow in the sun, in well-drained soil. The rest of the year, its evergreen leaves with a silvery green colour will continue to dress up the garden. It is ideal in rock gardens, above retaining walls or as ground cover, and forms a very beautiful combination with the variety 'Red Cascade'.

The hybrid Aubrietas belong to the family of Brassicaceae, mostly derived from Aubrieta deltoidea, native to southeastern Europe and Turkey. They are compact and carpeting plants, forming cushions that do not exceed 15cm (6in) in height, spreading quite rapidly over a diameter of 60cm (24in). Their semi-evergreen to evergreen leaves, depending on the climate, are slightly silvery green and oval in shape. In summer, the foliage sometimes turns yellow, without affecting the plant's health, which will turn green again with the first rain. The small leaves end in a point and have roughly serrated margins. In spring, between the end of March and the end of May, 'Purple Cascade' is adorned with numerous small flowers with four petals, in a light violet tone of beautiful intensity. These are very hardy plants, resistant to -20°C (1°F).

With its homogeneous carpeting growth, Aubrieta is ideally suited for planting in borders. Not demanding in terms of soil, as long as it is not too dry, it also thrives in rock gardens or on flowering retaining walls: it forms pretty patches and beautiful streams of colours, like an impressionist painting. It quickly colonizes the ground, which allows it to be planted on a sunny slope. Between the joints of paving stones, in the crevices of retaining walls, Aubrietas are fabulous. They also work well in balconies and hanging baskets, their stems will cascade over the container to hide its edges. The variety 'Purple Casacde' pairs well with the reddish-purple colour of 'Royal Red', or pastel tulips, silver basket, Montpellier soapwort, or Erigeron karvinskianus.