Petrocallis pyrenaica

RHS Plant Profile
rock beauty

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rock beauty Dorling Kindersley Ltd
rock beauty Dorling Kindersley Ltd

Synonyms

Petrocallis lagascae
Draba pyrenaica

Alpine Rockery
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A cushion-forming, evergreen perennial to 5cm, with dense rosettes of three-lobed, grey-green leaves. Small clusters of pink-purple, or white, vanilla-scented flowers appear in spring

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Brassicaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Matforming
Genus
Petrocallis are cushion-forming perennials with rosettes of lobed leaves and clusters of four-petalled flowers on short stems in spring
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Europe (Mts)

How to Grow

Cultivation

Requires poor, gritty, very well-drained soil in full sun. Intolerant of winter wet, so in many areas better grown in an alpine house

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in a container in a cold frame in autumn, or by separating rosettes in early summer and rooting them as cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Rock garden
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Susceptible to aphids, glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly if grown under cover

Diseases

Generally disease-free