Snowflake is an evergreen candytuft that blankets itself in large clusters of pure white flowers from mid to late spring. It is a selection grown from cuttings, so plants are consistent in height and habit, which makes for even edging.
It forms a low mat about 8 to 10 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, with narrow evergreen leaves that stay green through winter. It is drought tolerant once established, and it is well suited to rock gardens, wall crevices, walkway edges and small-scale groundcover.
What it looks like
Narrow, glossy, dark green evergreen leaves line short, woody-based stems in a dense cushion. In mid to late spring, large, rounded clusters of small, pure white, four-petaled flowers cover the plant almost completely. The plant forms a uniform, low, spreading mat about 8 to 10 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide. Outside of bloom it stays a tidy, dark green mound. At peak it looks like a low drift of snow along a border edge.
Growing it with lavender
Candytuft likes the same sun and sharp drainage as lavender, and its white spring carpet makes a clean edging in front of lavender, blooming weeks before the lavender opens and staying evergreen after.
Care
Grow in full sun in well-drained soil, from lean to average; it handles drought once established and dislikes wet winter soil. Hardy in zones 3-9. Shear the stems back by about a third after flowering to keep the plant dense and tidy.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Iberis sempervirens
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Flower color: Pure white
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Foliage: Glossy dark green, evergreen
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Growth habit: Low, uniform spreading mat
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Mature size: 8–10 in tall × 12–24 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Late-April
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Peak bloom: Mid-May
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
