CANDYTUFT
Family CRUCIFERAE
Iberis species
Perennial/Annual
A genus of annual and perennial species found
in western Asia, southern Europe and northern
Africa; all hardy in Britain.
The perennials are shrubby, dwarf and compact.
Iberis sempervirens, the common perennial
Candytuft, has snow-white flowers on nine to twelve
inch stems.
Iberis gibraltarica is rather larger than the
other species, with flowers of delicate lilac;
it is doubtfully hardy. For the front of the border
these plants are pretty and effective.
On the rock garden, too, they are effective if
planted in bold colonies, and there are many others
of minute size and very dwarf habit that are eminently
suitable for such specialised cultivation.
Of the annuals Iberis umbellata is a dwarf with
flowers in clustered heads in numerous bright
shades from white to red and violet. Iberis affinis
has fragrant white flowers that become suffused
with lilac when old.
The Rocket Candytuft, Iberis Coronaria, has clusters
of fragrant white flowers. These annuals flower
from June to September.
Propagation is by means of cuttings of half-ripened
growth, seeds or root division.
The flowering season is from April to July.
Iberis – Perennial Candytuft
(For the annual kinds, see Candytuft).
Hardy Perennial.
Six inches.
Flowers white, May to July.
A dwarf spreading plant, with stiff almost shrubby
stems, and dark glossy leaves.
The flowers are double, with concentric rows of
petals, sometimes built up into a conical shape;
the colour a pure and opaque white.
The old form of the plant is Iberis sempervirens,
which will thrive in any border of ordinary garden
soil with a sunny exposure.
It may be propagated by slipping off small side
shoots from the plant, and dibbling them in a
piece of light soil in July or August, if moisture
and shade from direct sunshine be provided.
These cuttings, though they may only grow a “callus”
before the winter, will form roots and grow away
in spring.
Other varieties are Iberis corriaefolia and Iberis
superba, which have larger heads of flower than
sempervirens.
See also : Candytuft
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