General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 8 to 12 inches
Plant Spread: 18 to 24 inches
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Blue
Lavender
Purple
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Uses: Erosion control
Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Division
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Rock Cress
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Aubrieta deltoidea
  • Synonym: Aubrieta canescens subsp. canescens
  • Synonym: Aubrieta canescens
  • Synonym: Aubrieta canescens subsp. macrostyla
  • Synonym: Aubrieta deltoidea var. canescens
  • Synonym: Aubrieta canescens subsp. cilicica

Photo Gallery
Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2014-03-31
purchased as Aubrieta canescens subsp. canescens
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Date: 2021-05-04
Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2014-04-14
Location: Switzerland, in my garden
Date: 2017-04-30 at 07:32hrs
Hopefully the last frost of the season
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2016-05-15
growing in a dry stone wall
Location: My garden, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; zone 3.
Date: 2012-12-07
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Date: 2021-05-04
Location: Botanical Garden München-Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany.
Date: May
Location: My garden, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; zone 3.
Date: 2012-12-07 
Bought labelled as cultivar 'Blue Indigo'.
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: University of California Botanical Garden.
photo by Stan Shebs
Location: My garden, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; zone 3.
Date: 2010-04-01 
1 month after germination.
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Feb 9, 2012 4:31 PM concerning plant:
    Valuable source of nectar and pollen for honey bees.
  • Posted by KFredenburg (Black Hills, SD - Zone 5a) on Jun 6, 2020 2:54 PM concerning plant:
    Low mat of evergreen foliage with pink to purple flowers that are large in relation to the size of the plant. Tiny oval leaves crowd downy stems.
    For best results (if planting more than one of these plants), space each one at least 9 inches apart from each other.
    Landscape uses:
    Use aubrietas as edging for a perennial border or plant in a rock garden; they combine well with white or pink-flowered arabis.

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