Aubrieta Flower

Aubrieta is a genus of about 12 species of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae, named after Claude Aubriet, a French flower-painter.

Most named garden forms are seedlings probably raised from A. deltoidea, a species found in the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean and south-west Europe.

It varies naturally and includes lilac and red-flowered forms, with doubles also recorded in the wild.

Alpine nurseries tended to grow and select their own seedlings. These varied naturally, and also hybridized where several species grew together.

These little plants couldn’t be easier to manage. Cutting the plants back after bloom can discourage seeding and keep the plants compact and tight.

Every 1 to 3 years dig up the plant and divide to prevent center die out and propagate more plants for free.

aubrieta deltoidea
aubrieta deltoidea

Keep Aubrieta moderately moist especially during the growing season. False rockcress has few disease or insect pest issues.

The most common problems occur where soil is clay or drainage is poor. Make sure you amend soil and check for percolation prior to planting them out.

There are several cultivars available with flowers of red, lilac and pink. These lovely plants are beautiful cascading over a wall or even a container.

This is a small herbaceous perennial forming carpets of green spoon-shaped to oval-shaped leaves, some of which are lobed.

The showy inflorescence bears small flowers with four lavender to deep pink petals. The fruit is an inflated, hairy silique up to two centimeters long.