Evergreen candytuft

Evergreen candytuft: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, cushion-forming evergreen subshrub 20–30 cm tall and 40–60 cm wide, with a woody base.

Leaves

Narrow and oblong, 2–4 cm long, dark green, glossy and leathery.

Flowers

Small four-petalled flowers, the two outer petals larger, in dense, flat heads, in April–May.

Colour

Pure white, sometimes flushed pink as the flowers fade.

Roots

Fairly shallow and branching; trailing stems can root where they touch the soil.

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

Why grow it?

• Evergreen: the dark green cushion looks neat all year round.
• A sea of white flowers in April and May that still glows in the evening.
• Bees and butterflies find nectar on it in early spring.
• Drought-tolerant and undemanding: ideal for a rock garden, low wall or border edge.
• Forms a dense cushion where weeds have little chance.

Evergreen candytuft: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade it flowers less and becomes sparse.
• Free-draining sandy or loamy soil, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moist; it dislikes wet feet in winter.
• Lovely on a low wall, in a rock garden, along a path or as a border edging.
• Allow 30–40 cm between plants, about 7–9 plants per m² as ground cover.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.25 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Aubrieta: Flowers at the same time; purple cushions beside the white.
• Basket of gold: Golden-yellow flowers in April, also for walls and rock gardens.
• Moss phlox: Pink or lilac mats in the same sunny, dry soil.
• Species tulips: Small tulips popping up between the white cushions.
• Grape hyacinth: Blue spikes beside the white, also in April.

Evergreen candytuft: 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, in heavier ground, mix in some coarse sand or gravel.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Space plants 30–40 cm apart.
5. Water when planting and during dry weather for the first few weeks.

Care

Water

Only while it establishes and in long dry spells during the first year.

Feeding

Not needed; on poor soil it stays more compact.

Trimming

Cut back by a third after flowering, or it goes bare in the middle.

Weeding

Weed between young plants until the cushion has closed.

Renewal

If an old cushion still turns bare and woody, replace it with a cutting or a layer.

Tip: Use a hedge trimmer to cut it back by a third after flowering: it’s quick, and the cushion stays dense and nicely rounded for years.

Evergreen candytuft: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June.

When: Straight after flowering, at the end of May or in June.

How:

• Cut the whole cushion back by a third with shears or a hedge trimmer, removing the faded flower heads.
• Don’t cut into the bare, old wood: it regrows poorly from there.
• In March, remove stray, brown or winter-damaged shoots.

Caution: Don’t prune in autumn or winter: you would cut off next spring’s flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In June–July, take 5–8 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots and root them under plastic in sandy cutting compost.

Layering

In spring, pin a trailing stem to the ground and cover it with a little soil; in September, sever it and replant.

Evergreen candytuft: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: in Belgium it needs no protection.
• Evergreen: the leaves stay all winter.
• Cold, drying winds can brown the foliage; cut those shoots out in March.
• Clear fallen tree leaves off the cushion, or it will rot underneath.

Diseases and pests

• Bare centre: Not cut back, or not enough. Trim by a third after flowering every year and replace old plants.
• Root rot: On wet, heavy soil. Replant in a drier spot or with gravel in the planting hole.
• Flea beetles: Small round holes in the leaves in spring, as on cabbages. Usually harmless; keeping the soil moist helps.
• Clubroot: A sickly plant with swollen, distorted roots, as in cabbages. Remove the plant and don’t grow cabbage-family plants in that spot.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Remove damaged shoots.
• April: Full flower. Plant.
• May: Flowering ends. Cut back by a third at the end of May.
• June: Cut back if not yet done. Take cuttings.
• July: Take cuttings. Water young plants in long dry spells.
• September: Plant. Sever and replant layers.
• October: Plant.
• November: Clear fallen leaves off the cushion.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The name Iberis refers to Iberia, the old name for Spain, where several species grow wild.
• The English name candytuft has nothing to do with sweets: it refers to Candia, an old name for Crete.
• It belongs to the cabbage family, along with cabbage and radish, so its flowers have four petals arranged in a cross.