Lobularia maritima

Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum) seeds — a Mediterranean carpeting annual with honey-scented, nectar-rich flowers for sun and free-draining soil.
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    Royal Carpet sweet alyssum for violet carpets sweet alyssum seeds ‘Royal Carpet’ are annual flower seeds that create a dense, low-growing display of small violet blooms. This compact variety is valued for forming an even,...
  • Sweet Alyssum Royal Carpet seeds (Lobularia maritima) – annual flower Sweet Alyssum Royal Carpet (Lobularia maritima) – annual flower seeds from SeedsChoice
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    Royal Carpet annual flowers for violet groundcover sweet alyssum seeds ‘Royal Carpet’ are a classic choice for creating a low, dense carpet of small violet blooms in beds and borders. This annual flower stays compact...
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    Alyssum Snowcloth Seeds Lobularia Maritima Annual
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    White annual flowers for borders and pots alyssum snowcloth seeds produce a neat, low-growing display that becomes densely covered with small white flowers. This sweet alyssum annual flower is valued for creating a soft, carpet-like...
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Lobularia maritima — sweet alyssum

Lobularia maritima, known to most gardeners simply as sweet alyssum, is a low, mound-forming annual in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), grown for its dense heads of tiny, honey-scented flowers. It is the botanical heart of our sweet alyssum range within the flower seed collection.

History & origin

Native to the Mediterranean basin, sweet alyssum grows wild on sandy shores, cliffs and rocky ground across southern Europe and North Africa — an origin that explains its easy tolerance of poor, free-draining soil, drought and salt-laden coastal air. Quick and generous from seed, it spread rapidly into cottage gardens around the world as an edging and carpeting plant.

Its name tells a small botanical story: the genus Lobularia comes from the Greek lobos, "small pod," for its rounded seed capsules, while the species epithet maritima means "of the sea," a nod to its coastal home. Long grouped under Alyssum, it was later given its own genus but kept the familiar common name.

Botanical characteristics

A compact annual usually 8–15 cm high that spreads into a low cushion, it carries rounded clusters of four-petalled flowers in white, pink, lilac and purple, with a distinctive sweet, honeyed scent. Rich in nectar and held over a long season, the blooms are a magnet for bees and hoverflies, earning it a place among our bee-friendly and ground-cover flowers.

Growing Lobularia maritima from seed

Surface-sow the fine seed onto moist, well-drained compost and leave it uncovered, as light aids germination; seedlings appear in one to two weeks at around 15–20°C. Grow in full sun, water sparingly once established, and shear lightly after the first flush to encourage a second. It self-seeds gently where happy. Our flower growing guide and flower sowing calendar cover the timing.

Ready to grow sweet alyssum? Explore the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Sweet Alyssum · Ground-Cover Flowers · Bee-Friendly Flowers · Drought-Tolerant Flowers · All Flower Seeds

At SeedsChoice, every order ships from Meppel, NL with fast, tracked EU delivery.

What is the difference between alyssum and Lobularia maritima?
They are the same plant. Lobularia maritima is the botanical name; "sweet alyssum" is its common garden name. Is Lobularia maritima an annual or perennial?
It is usually grown as a half-hardy annual, though in mild, frost-free areas it can persist and self-seed. What conditions does it prefer?
Full sun and light, free-draining soil. Thanks to its coastal origins it copes well with poor ground, drought and salt spray. How do I sow the seed?
Scatter it on the surface of moist compost without covering, as it needs light to germinate; keep at about 15–20°C.