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Alpine RockeryHerbaceous Perennial

Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica 'Arctic Joy' (v)

A mat-forming, short-lived evergreen alpine perennial often grown as an annual, to around 20cm in height, with rosettes of neat, variegated, toothed dark grey-green leaves with creamy-yellow margins. Clusters of white, fragrant flowers with greenish-yellow centres appear from April to May. An ideal choice for ground cover, a rockery or alpine garden

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or 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: Arabis can be annuals or evergreen perennials, usually mat-forming, with simple leaves and racemes of 4-petalled white, pink or purple flowers.
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in full sun; will tolerate hot, dry conditions and poor, infertile soils, and is good for ground cover

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in summer, or by division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Wildlife gardens
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds
Garden edging
Ground cover

Pruning

Trim back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to arabis midge and flea beetles

Diseases

May be susceptible to downy mildews, white blister, and virus diseases

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