General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9a
Plant Height: 6-10 inches
Plant Spread: 12 inches
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Uses: Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Needs specific temperature: 60F
Depth to plant seed: Cover to their thickness.
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Other info: Sow 8-10 weeks before last frost indoors. Transplant when 4 true leaves to 2" pot. Harden off 2-3 days before planting out 12" apart. Can also sow outdoors in Spring in a cold frame or raised bed. Plant seeds 3-4 times their thickness.
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Other: Hard to divide
Pollinators: Moths and Butterflies
Bees
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM

Image
Common names
  • Basket of Gold
  • Gold Dust
  • Gold Alyssum
  • Golden Alyssum
  • Basket-of-Gold
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Aurinia saxatilis
  • Synonym: Alyssum ephesium

Photo Gallery
Location: my garden, Utah
Date: 2020-04-24
Photo by Zencat
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Zone 6b. 
Date: 2022-04-30
Location: Belarus
Date: 2020-05-06
My garden
Location: Belarus
Date: 2020-05-12
Our garden
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2017-06-13
Location: Switzerland, in my garden
Date: 2017-05-12
Location: Friend's garden in Castlegar, B.C.
Date: 2009-05-11
 1:05 pm. A carpet of green Thyme in front, sets off this Basket
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Zone 6b. 
Date: 2023-05-06
Photo by Zencat
Location: My Garden
Date: 2013-06-02

Date: 2012-04-18
Location: Zone 6
Date: 2019-04-29
Yellow flowers - blooming now!
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2017-06-13
Going to seed mid-June.
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2016-05-13
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2016-05-13
Photo by Paul2032
Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-04
At a Nursery
Location: garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal in Madison, Wisconsin
Date: April 29, 2012
photo by James Steakley
Location: Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, United States
Date: 2021-08-22

photo by ghislain118
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Friend's garden in Castlegar, B.C.
Date: 2009-05-11
 1:16 pm. Those rich golden blossoms are a warm welcome to the be

Credit florum

Date: 2012-04-18

Date: 2012-04-18
Location: IL
Date: 2012-04-17

Date: 2012-04-18

Date: 2012-04-18

Date: 2013-04-01

Date: 2013-04-01
Location: Orem, utah
Date: 2012-04-04
At a nursery

Courtesy of Diane's Flower Seeds
Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Date: 2012-04-18
In my garden
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 6:52 PM concerning plant:
    Aurinia saxatilis reportedly attracts beneficial insects to the garden: Hoverflies, which feed on aphids; and Ladybugs, which feed on aphids, mealybugs, soft scales, and spider mites.
  • Posted by KFredenburg (Black Hills, SD - Zone 5a) on Jun 6, 2020 3:04 PM concerning plant:
    Low-growing plant topped with frothy clusters of yellow or apricot flowers above rosettes of silver-gray foliage in early spring.
    For best results (if planting more than one of these plants), space them 9-12 inches apart from each other.
    Landscape uses:
    Mass basket-of-gold in a rock garden, use as an edging plant for a border, or allow it to cascade over a low retaining wall or the edge of a raised bed.
  • Posted by Mike (Lower Hudson Valley, New York - Zone 6b) on Aug 24, 2014 8:15 PM concerning plant:
    The plant looks great spilling over my neighbor's stone wall, but I haven't had as much luck with it. What I've learned is that it prefers average, dry soil, rather than the rich moist soil found in my garden. Where Basket-of-Gold is concerned, moist rich soil + summer humidity = untidy, short-lived plant. For this reason, I've read that many southern gardeners grow it sort of like an annual (planted in the fall so that it blooms in early spring and dies in the summer).
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Sep 29, 2011 5:43 PM concerning plant:
    Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant
  • Posted by Skiekitty (Denver Metro - Zone 5a) on Apr 14, 2014 8:53 AM concerning plant:
    Does NOT like to be trimmed. Will die if you trim it. Had two, trimmed them a little to make them a bit more tidy, and they died within a week. Has a long sprawling "neck" like an old African violet.
Plant Events from our members
chelle On July 8, 2015 Seeds sown
Ash tree bed.
dragonfetti On March 23, 2015 Seeds sown
CG container
dragonfetti On March 21, 2015 Obtained plant
Ferry-Morse $1.35
lovesblooms On February 6, 2017 Seeds germinated
sprouted indoors in unheated basement (~45-50 F) before I could set outside, but conditions are similar outdoors--will set outside
lovesblooms On January 28, 2017 Seeds sown
winter sown
KelliW On January 20, 2020 Seeds sown
wintersown outdoors in jug, zone 6b
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
possible ID by janinilulu Aug 27, 2020 12:19 PM 1

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