About
Aethionema capitatum is a semi-evergreen sub-shrub that reaches up to 15 cm in height. It develops a dense mound of upright stems adorned with small, narrow leaves that range from blue-green to grey-green. In late spring and early summer, it produces pale lilac-pink flowers that appear in clusters at the ends of the stems.
About the genus
Aethionema includes annuals, evergreen perennials, and sub-shrubs, characterized by racemes of small pink or white blossoms that rise above tidy leaves.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Alpine Rockery
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
- Native to
- Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows best in well-drained, alkaline soil but will tolerate poor, acid soils
- Pruning
- Deadhead after flowering
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed or by softwood cuttings
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids and glasshouse red spider mite
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free