Aubrieta 'Elsa Lancaster'

RHS Plant Profile
aubrieta 'Elsa Lancaster'

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aubrieta 'Elsa Lancaster' Dorling Kindersley Ltd
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A compact, mat-forming perennial to 15cm high with small, fleshy, grey-green leaves. Four-petalled, purple flowers with tiny yellow eyes are borne on short spikes above the foliage in late spring and early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–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
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Best grown in well-drained soil in full sun; an ideal plant for dry areas such as chalky slopes and on walls, but it can tolerate partial shade. Being hardy it is a useful container plant for spring colour. See aubrieta arabis and aurinia trial 2024-2026

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Garden edging
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back after flowering to maintain compactness

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and flea beetles

Diseases

May be susceptible to white blister