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Alpine Rockery

Aubrieta gracilis 'Kitte'

aubrieta 'Kitte'

An evergreen, mat-forming perennial to 10cm tall with small rounded leaves. Relatively large, deep violet-purple flowers with small yellow eyes are borne in spring

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Plant nurseries
4 suppliers

Ultimate height

Up to 10cm

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or 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)

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

Best grown in well-drained soil in full sun but it can tolerate partial shade. An ideal plant for dry areas such as chalky slopes and on walls. Being hardy it is a useful container plant for spring colour This plant was part of the RHS Aubrieta, Arabis and Aurinia trial 2024-2026 https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards/ongoing-plant-trials/aubretia-arabis-aurinia

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Coastal
Rock garden
Banks and slopes
Garden edging
Ground cover

Pruning

Cut back after flowering to maintain compactness

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and flea beetles

Diseases

May be susceptible to white blister

Get involved

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