Basket of gold

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade can help in warmer gardens.

Water

Low once established; water young plants regularly, then water during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained, sandy, gravelly or stony soil, preferably neutral to alkaline. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soil and rich compost.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Mid-spring to early summer; dense clusters of small, bright golden-yellow flowers.

Foliage

Softly hairy, grey-green leaves form low mounds. Usually evergreen in mild climates, but may lose much of its foliage in severe winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Plant with the crown at soil level in a sunny position with excellent drainage.
• Water during establishment, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil encourages loose growth and fewer flowers.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than moisture-retaining mulch around the crown.
• Replace plants that become woody and open-centred; keep young plants from cuttings as replacements.

Pruning. After flowering, shear off spent flower stems and lightly trim leafy shoots to maintain a compact mound. Keep cuts within leafy growth rather than cutting hard into bare, old stems.

Early spring

Remove dead foliage and check that winter rain has not left the crown sitting in wet soil.

Spring

Plant in freely draining soil and water new plants while their roots establish.

Late spring

After the main flowering display, shear lightly to remove spent flowers and tidy the mound.

Summer

Take non-flowering shoot cuttings and water established plants only during prolonged drought.

Autumn

Remove fallen leaves from the crown and clear blocked drainage around rock-garden plants.

Winter

Keep plants out of standing water and avoid covering the crown with thick organic mulch.

• Plant along the top of a sunny retaining wall so flowering shoots spill over the edge.
• Use in rock gardens and raised beds, where stones and sharp drainage suit its low growth.
• Edge gravel paths with repeated mounds for a bright spring ribbon of colour.
• Pair with purple aubrieta, creeping phlox or dwarf irises for contrasting spring flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Alpine rock garden, Dry gravel garden, Cottage garden, Mediterranean, Low-maintenance and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Aubrieta, Creeping phlox, Candytuft, Creeping thyme, Dwarf bearded iris and Hens and chicks.

Wildlife: Flowers provide spring nectar and pollen for bees and other visiting insects.

• Root or crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, move plants to a raised position and replace badly rotted plants.
• Woody, open-centred growth: trim lightly after flowering and replace ageing plants with rooted cuttings.
• Sparse flowering or floppy growth: move to more sun and stop high-nitrogen feeding.
• Decline in hot, humid summers: provide excellent drainage and good air circulation; expect a shorter lifespan where these conditions persist.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular part is recognized as poisonous, but it is not a food plant and eating substantial amounts may cause digestive upset.

• Mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum)

  Also has yellow spring flowers and greyish leaves, but usually makes a lower, more creeping mat with smaller, narrower leaves.

• Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

  Usually grown as an annual, with small white, pink or purple flowers over a much longer season; its flowers are often noticeably honey-scented.

The epithet saxatilis means 'growing among rocks', while basket of gold describes the rounded masses of yellow flowers.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring, or take softwood to semi-ripe cuttings from non-flowering shoots in late spring or summer. Seed-grown plants may vary; use cuttings to preserve a named cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Aurinia saxatilis

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is., Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kriti, Poland and Romania.

Measured

Average height 21 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.