Alyssum Royal Carpet
Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' Seeds
If you have harsh concrete edges, empty cracks in the patio, or bare soil at the front of a border, 'Royal Carpet' is the solution. This award-winning variety creates a dense, low mound of foliage that becomes completely smothered in deep violet-purple flowers.
It gets its name "Sweet Alyssum" for a reason: on warm, sunny days, it releases a delicious, heady fragrance of honey that wafts through the garden. It is incredibly robust, drought-tolerant, and thrives in those tricky, hot spots where other plants struggle. It is the perfect "finishing touch" to any garden design.
Read More
🌿 Understanding the Plant
Alyssum is a Hardy Annual.
It is native to the Mediterranean, which explains its love for sun and sandy soil. 'Royal Carpet' is a selected colour form that starts a rich, deep purple and fades slightly to lilac as the flowers age, giving the "carpet" a lovely textured, two-tone appearance.
The "Beneficial" Magnet: Alyssum is famous among organic gardeners because it attracts hoverflies—the tiny insects whose larvae eat aphids. Planting this near your roses or beans is a great natural pest control strategy.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
This is one of the easiest seeds to grow, perfect for beginners and children.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors from March to May where they are to flower. Scatter the tiny seeds thinly on the surface of the soil and pat them down. Do not cover with soil as they need light to germinate. Germination takes 10-14 days.
Where to Sow:
It needs full sun to flower profusely. It tolerates poor, dry, and rocky soil effortlessly. It looks fantastic spilling over the edge of a raised bed or hanging basket.
Care While Growing:
The "Haircut": If the plants start to look straggly or stop flowering in mid-summer, take a pair of shears and cut them back by half. Water well, and they will produce a fresh flush of new green growth and flowers within weeks.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Lobularia maritima 'Royal Carpet' |
| Common Name | Sweet Alyssum / Royal Carpet |
| Hardiness | H3 (Hardy Annual) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 8cm - 12cm (Very Low) |
| Spread | ↔️ 25cm - 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 15cm apart |
| Great for | 🧱 Path Edging 🪨 Rockeries 👃 Scented Gardens 🏺 Containers |
| Seed Count | Approx. 1600 seeds per packet (Tiny seeds!) |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Alyssum is the perfect "shoes and socks" plant to cover the bare feet of taller flowers:
- 🌼 French Marigolds (Tagetes): The Contrast. Yellow/Orange and Purple are complementary colours. Planting a rim of purple Alyssum around a block of orange Marigolds makes both colours sing.
- 🦁 Snapdragons (Antirrhinum): The Height Difference. Snapdragons grow upright; Alyssum grows flat. Using Alyssum as a living mulch under Snapdragons suppresses weeds and keeps the soil cool.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in spring. Flowers June to September.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Container Gardening
'Royal Carpet' is one of the best value plants for pots. A single packet of seeds can fill dozens of pots or baskets, spilling over the edges to hide plastic rims and soften the look of your patio.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This variety holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, confirming it is reliable, stable, and performs exceptionally well in British gardens.
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Description
Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' Seeds
If you have harsh concrete edges, empty cracks in the patio, or bare soil at the front of a border, 'Royal Carpet' is the solution. This award-winning variety creates a dense, low mound of foliage that becomes completely smothered in deep violet-purple flowers.
It gets its name "Sweet Alyssum" for a reason: on warm, sunny days, it releases a delicious, heady fragrance of honey that wafts through the garden. It is incredibly robust, drought-tolerant, and thrives in those tricky, hot spots where other plants struggle. It is the perfect "finishing touch" to any garden design.
Read More
🌿 Understanding the Plant
Alyssum is a Hardy Annual.
It is native to the Mediterranean, which explains its love for sun and sandy soil. 'Royal Carpet' is a selected colour form that starts a rich, deep purple and fades slightly to lilac as the flowers age, giving the "carpet" a lovely textured, two-tone appearance.
The "Beneficial" Magnet: Alyssum is famous among organic gardeners because it attracts hoverflies—the tiny insects whose larvae eat aphids. Planting this near your roses or beans is a great natural pest control strategy.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
This is one of the easiest seeds to grow, perfect for beginners and children.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors from March to May where they are to flower. Scatter the tiny seeds thinly on the surface of the soil and pat them down. Do not cover with soil as they need light to germinate. Germination takes 10-14 days.
Where to Sow:
It needs full sun to flower profusely. It tolerates poor, dry, and rocky soil effortlessly. It looks fantastic spilling over the edge of a raised bed or hanging basket.
Care While Growing:
The "Haircut": If the plants start to look straggly or stop flowering in mid-summer, take a pair of shears and cut them back by half. Water well, and they will produce a fresh flush of new green growth and flowers within weeks.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Lobularia maritima 'Royal Carpet' |
| Common Name | Sweet Alyssum / Royal Carpet |
| Hardiness | H3 (Hardy Annual) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 8cm - 12cm (Very Low) |
| Spread | ↔️ 25cm - 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 15cm apart |
| Great for | 🧱 Path Edging 🪨 Rockeries 👃 Scented Gardens 🏺 Containers |
| Seed Count | Approx. 1600 seeds per packet (Tiny seeds!) |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Alyssum is the perfect "shoes and socks" plant to cover the bare feet of taller flowers:
- 🌼 French Marigolds (Tagetes): The Contrast. Yellow/Orange and Purple are complementary colours. Planting a rim of purple Alyssum around a block of orange Marigolds makes both colours sing.
- 🦁 Snapdragons (Antirrhinum): The Height Difference. Snapdragons grow upright; Alyssum grows flat. Using Alyssum as a living mulch under Snapdragons suppresses weeds and keeps the soil cool.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in spring. Flowers June to September.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | ||||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Container Gardening
'Royal Carpet' is one of the best value plants for pots. A single packet of seeds can fill dozens of pots or baskets, spilling over the edges to hide plastic rims and soften the look of your patio.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This variety holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, confirming it is reliable, stable, and performs exceptionally well in British gardens.
