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Herbaceous Perennial

Aubrieta 'Somerford Lime' (v)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

aubrieta 'Somerford Lime'

A slowly spreading, mat-forming, evergreen perennial to about 10cm high, with small, hairy, mid-green leaves varigated with a central splash of bright lime-gold. Purplish-blue, four-petalled flowers with yellow-green centres are produced in short spikes over a long period in spring

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Size
Ultimate height
Up to 10cm
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Purple Blue Green Gold
Summer Green Gold
Autumn Green Gold
Winter Green Gold
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Brassicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Matforming
Genus

Aubrieta are mat-forming evergreen perennials with small leaves and short racemes of 4-petalled flowers in shades of pink and purple in spring

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained, preferably neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. An ideal plant for dry areas such as slopes and over walls, and a useful container plant for spring colour

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer, or semi-hardwood cuttings in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • hanging basket
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Garden edging
  • Ground cover
Pruning

Cut back after flowering to maintain shape

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, leaf and bud eelworms and flea beetles

Diseases

May be susceptible to white blister and downy mildew

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