Basket of gold

Basket of gold: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose cushion, slightly woody at the base, 20–30 cm tall and 30–45 cm wide.

Leaves

Lance-shaped, 5–10 cm long, grey-green and felted, in rosettes; evergreen.

Flower

Dense clusters of tiny four-petalled flowers, in April and May.

Colour

Golden yellow; ‘Citrina’ is a softer lemon yellow.

Roots

A deep main root, which makes it very drought tolerant.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: May–June

Why grow it?

• A blaze of bright yellow in April and May, lovely beside purple aubretia.
• Early nectar and pollen for bees.
• Grey-green, evergreen leaves that stay in place over winter.
• Tolerates drought and poor soil: perfect for walls, gravel gardens and banks.
• Little work: one trim after flowering is enough.

Basket of gold: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade it becomes floppy and flowers poorly.
• Poor, well-drained sandy or loamy soil, from acid to chalky; also between stones and in gravel.
• Dry: wet soil and rich, fat earth make it floppy and short-lived.
• Ideal on walls, banks and in rock gardens, 30–40 cm apart.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.25 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Aubretia: Purple beside golden yellow: the classic combination on a wall.
• Perennial candytuft: A white, evergreen cushion that flowers at the same time.
• Houseleek: Evergreen rosettes for the same dry, sunny spot.
• Grape hyacinth: Small blue flowers in April that contrast nicely with the yellow.

Basket of gold: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October.
2. Loosen the soil and, on heavier ground, mix in plenty of coarse sand or gravel; give no manure or compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, with the crown just above the soil.
4. Keep 30–40 cm apart.
5. Water in, and during the first weeks only again in prolonged drought.

Care

Water

Hardly ever needed once established. Better too dry than too wet.

Feeding

Do not feed: on rich soil it becomes floppy and short-lived.

Cutting back

After flowering, cut back the flower stems and a third of the cushion; this keeps it compact.

Replacing

After a few years it often becomes woody and bare. Keep some cuttings or seedlings in reserve to replace it.

Tip: Pair it with purple aubretia on a wall: they flower together, like the same dry spot, and the yellow and purple bring out the best in each other.

Basket of gold: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June.

When: Straight after flowering, in late May or in June.

How:

• Cut back the spent flower clusters and about a third of the cushion.
• Do not cut into the bare, woody part: it regrows poorly from there.
• Leave a few clusters if you want seedlings.

Caution: Do not prune in autumn or winter: you would remove the shoots that should flower in April.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In June: take 5 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots and insert them in gritty cutting compost, kept barely moist and out of strong sun.

Seed

Sow in spring or late summer in a pot of sandy compost. Seedlings usually flower the following spring; cultivars do not always come true from seed.

Basket of gold: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• Evergreen: the grey cushion stays in place all winter.
• Wet winters are more dangerous than frost: on heavy, wet soil it rots away.

Diseases and pests

• Rot: The cushion turns brown and soft because of wet soil. Plant it higher up, between stones or in gravel.
• Floppy and bare: On rich soil or in shade the cushion falls open. Trim after flowering and do not feed.
• Flea beetles: Small holes in the leaves in spring. It usually simply grows away from it.
• Short-lived: After a few years it sometimes dies. Take cuttings in good time to replace it.

Through the year

• March: Plant.
• April: Full bloom. Plant.
• May: Last flowers. Trim back straight afterwards.
• June: Trim back if not yet done. Take cuttings.
• July: Rest. Only water young plants in dry spells.
• August: Sow in a pot if you like.
• September: Plant.
• October: Plant.
• December: Rest; the grey cushion stays in place.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• For a long time it was called Alyssum saxatile, and garden centres sometimes still sell it under that name.
• The species name saxatilis means ‘growing among rocks’, after its natural habitat.
• The name Aurinia probably comes from the Latin aureus, golden, after the colour of the flowers.