Aubrieta 'Elsa Lancaster'

RHS Plant Profile

aubrieta 'Elsa Lancaster'

Dorling Kindersley Ltd

Alpine Rockery

Buy this from Plant Nurseries
1 Suppliers

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 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
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