Aubrieta gracilis 'Kitte Purple'

RHS Plant Profile

aubrieta 'Kitte Purple'

RHS / Joanna Kossak

Alpine Rockery

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A compact, mat-forming, evergreen perennial, to about 10cm tall, with small, green leaves. Relatively large purple flowers appear from mid to late spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, 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

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

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): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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 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

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
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