Leaf
Mathieu Menand, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Basket of gold
Aurinia saxatilis (L.) Desv.
Also known as: Golden alyssum, Gold dust
Family: Brassicaceae
15 to 30 cm tall, in a spreading cushion
Rock gardens, low walls, borders, dry well-drained gardens
Flowering: April – June
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
In full flower, its clump disappears entirely under a mass of bright yellow flowers, hence its name.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, ovate, grey-green, downy
🌸 Flowers
Small bright golden-yellow flowers in large dense clusters
🍎 Fruits
Small ovate siliques
🪵 Bark
Subshrub or perennial with a sometimes woody base, forming a low, spreading cushion.
🗺️ Distribution
South-eastern Europe; widely cultivated and naturalised on old walls and rock gardens in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Early bright yellow flowering, very rich in honey, an important source of nectar for the first bees of spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Rock gardens, low walls, borders; evergreen cushion very free-flowering in spring.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
🌿 Other Brassicaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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