Practical
Plants

Iberis umbellata

Candytuft

an annual member of the Iberis genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Iberis
Life cycle
annual
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.2 m
Fertility
Bees, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera

Environment

Range
S. Europe.
Habitat
Bushy and rocky places on calcareous soils[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in situ for summer flowering or late summer in situ for a spring flowering[4]. The seed germinates within 3 weeks.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a good, well-drained ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a calcareous soil but tolerates mildly acid soils[1]. Succeeds in poor soils[4] and on dry walls[1]. A very ornamental plant[1]. A fast-growing plant[3]. Do not grow the plants too close together[1]. A good butterfly, moth and bee plant[5][2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  2. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩

  3. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

    ↩

  6. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

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