Aubrieta x cultorum Hürth

The Aubrieta or Aubrieta 'Hürth' is a small perennial groundcover, ideal as a ground cover, which is adorned in spring with a multitude of light purple flowers forming a dense and colorful carpet in the garden. This German cultivar is vigorous and floriferous. Throughout the rest of the year, its semi-evergreen leaves dress up rockeries and flower beds. Very hardy and low-maintenance, it fits between taller perennials to fill the ground in borders and front of flower beds.

Hybrid Aubrietas belong to the brassicaceae family, mostly derived from Aubrieta deltoidea, native to southeastern Europe and Turkey. They are plants with a compact and spreading habit, forming cushions that do not exceed 15 cm in height, but spread quite rapidly over a diameter of 60 cm. Their semi-evergreen to evergreen leaves, depending on the climate, are slightly silvery green and ovate in shape. In summer, the foliage may sometimes turn yellow, without affecting the plant's health, as it will green up again with the first rain. The small leaves have pointed tips and coarsely serrated margins. In spring, between late March and late May, the 'Hürth' variety is adorned with numerous small flowers with four petals, in a beautiful light violet shade with yellow stamens.

Easy to grow and with good hardiness, around -20°C, the 'Hürth' Aubrieta thrives in a light and well-drained soil, even limestone. Ideal in rockeries, walls, borders, and paving, it loves sunny exposures. Its spreading ability makes it a good plant for slopes and any soil, as long as it is not too dry. It also makes a good ground cover in pots, containers, and hanging baskets, with its stems cascading beautifully. Combine it with Sedums, Geranium cinereum, Dianthus, or Erigeron karvinskianus.