| Basket of Gold | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Aurinia |
| Species: | A. saxatilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aurinia saxatilis (L.) Desv. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Aurinia saxatilis (Basket of Gold,[1] Goldentuft alyssum, Golden Alyssum,[2] Gold-dust, Golden-tuft alyssum, Golden-tuft madwort, Rock madwort;[3] syn. Alyssum saxatile L., Alyssum saxatile L. var. compactum Hort.[1]) is an ornamental plant[4][5] native to Asia and Europe.[3]
This is a little, rounded, evergreen perennial that can grow from 4 to 12in high, performing a mound up to 16-20in across. the plants flowers are clear yellow, but the various cultivars produce flowers in white, cream, lemon or reach gold. Since its natural habitat is rocky, mountainous country, it is ideal for a rock garden, for dry, sloping ground, or for edging garden beds, provided the drainage is excellent. It is also ideally suited for troughs and the edges of large pots, perhaps containing a shrub. Although golden dust is a perennial, some gardeners grow is as part of an annual spring display.
Conditions
Aspects: Needs an open position in full sunlight
Site: Soil must contain plenty of chalk, sand or grit, and be free draining but not rich.
Contents |
Propagation:
Grows readily from seed sown in the fall. Cultivars can be grown from tip cuttings taken in late spring and early summer. Space the plants about 4in apart, giving them plenty of growing room. Aurinia is sold among the alpines at garden centers.
Feeding:
Small amounts only of complete plant food may be given in early spring as a boost, but feeding is not essential.
Problems:
No specific problems are known besides poor drainage. Over watering pot-grown specimens can quickly rot and can kill the plants
Season:
Flowers appear from mid-to late spring, the flowers completely covering the plant and hiding the foliage.
Cutting:
The flower are not suitable for picking.
Requirements:
It is probably easier to shear radically over the whole plant with clippers, unless you are waiting for the seeds to ripen. Shearing the plant also helps to keep a compact, neatly rounded shape.