ROCK
CRESS
Family CRUCIFERAE
Arabis albida
Perennial
The genus comprises many species native to Europe
and America of which a number are alpine. The
flowers are small and borne on stems, a few inches
high, in terminal racemes over a considerable
period of time.
The plants are leafy ad of tuft-like growth, but
inclined to become straggling if not cut back
annually.
Arabis albida (syn, A. caucasica), the White
Arabis, provides masses of small white flowers
of single form, but is not often grown today,
having given place in public favour to the double
white form (var. flore-pleno).
The fragrant flowers are useful to form carpets
at the front of herbaceous borders.
There is also a pink flowered form of hybrid
origin; Arabis x arendsii (“Rosabella”),
but its place is rather in the rock garden than
the perennial border.
One of the easiest plants to cultivate, the Arabis
will grow in any reasonably well-drained soil
in either partial shade or in full sun.
Propagation is by division, seed or cuttings.
The flowering season extends from March to May.
See Also: Arabis
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