Aubrieta hybrida

Garden aubretia — dense, evergreen alpine cushions that vanish each spring beneath sheets of small flowers in rich purple, violet, mauve and pink.
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Aubrieta hybrida — rock cress / aubretia

Aubrieta hybrida is the botanical name for garden aubretia, the much-loved alpine whose dense, evergreen cushions disappear each spring beneath sheets of small, four-petalled flowers in rich purple, violet, mauve and pink. It is the species behind our aubretia and rock cress planting within the flower seed collection.

History & origin

The garden aubretias are hybrids derived from species native to the mountains of southern Europe and the Mediterranean, where they grow in rock crevices and on stony slopes. Their toughness and dazzling spring display made them a staple of rockeries, walls and alpine gardens.

The genus Aubrieta was named after the French botanical artist Claude Aubriet, while hybrida simply marks these as garden hybrids bred for larger flowers and a wider colour range.

Botanical characteristics

A low, spreading evergreen perennial just a few centimetres tall but spilling widely, it forms tight mats of small grey-green leaves smothered in flower through spring. Drought-hardy once established and thriving in poor, gritty ground, it is one of our best ground-cover flowers and drought-tolerant flowers, while its early nectar is valuable for emerging bees.

Growing Aubrieta hybrida from seed

Sow the fine seed in spring or late summer, pressing onto the surface of gritty compost and barely covering, kept cool and bright. Plant into full sun in sharply drained soil, a wall crevice or rockery, and shear the cushions lightly straight after flowering to keep them dense and tidy. Our flower growing guide and flower sowing calendar cover the timing.

Ready to grow aubretia? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Rock Cress · Ground-Cover Flowers · Drought-Tolerant Flowers · Perennial Flowers · All Flower Seeds

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What is Aubrieta hybrida?
It is the botanical name for garden aubretia, a mat-forming alpine (a type of rock cress) bred for large flowers and a rich purple-to-pink colour range. Where does aubretia grow best?
In full sun on poor, sharply drained, gritty ground — it thrives in wall crevices, rockeries and along the tops of retaining walls. How do I sow the seed?
Sow the fine seed in spring or late summer, pressing it onto gritty compost and barely covering, kept cool and bright. How do I keep the cushions neat?
Shear the mats lightly straight after the spring flowering to keep them dense, compact and well shaped.