Spring blooming perennial. But, depending on your climate, if you shear it back (deadhead) after flowers fade you may get some rebloom later in the season.

Very pretty Tom! How tall does it grow? Is it similar to 'Basket of Gold?'

Thanx Morz,
Gardenweed I'm pretty sure Basket of Gold and Gold Dust are the same just different names..Not sure of how tall it will get,hopefully it stays low.:)

I've had some for a few years now, it stays about that size, and mine only blooms once in the spring. It's always a nice little yellow surprise. Mine is getting ready to bloom soon.
-weebay

Thanks Tom. I bought Alyssum saxatile 'Basket of Gold' perennial alyssum seeds back in January but never got a chance to WS them. Had too many higher priority seeds to WS first and since these didn't need cold stratification, I kept putting off sowing them. If I think they'll still germinate, I'll go ahead and WS them. According to my info they only grow to about 10" tall.

Tom,
do those have a nice aroma like other allysum?

I love the smell of allysum (I usually sow and plant the short ones) but for some reason they don't do well for me. They germinate fine, but after I plant them they don't thrive. I keep trying tho!

ellenrr,I went out and smelled it,lol,it does smell good but you have to get down to its level to smell it,could be this wet day we are having here in Virginia might be effecting it.

Gosh, I had alyssum last year but I never smelled it or never knew it had a scent. I have carpet of snow and rosie O' day planted this year. I've been looking at that basket of gold alyssum in all the catalogs this year but didn't order any. Maybe it will be on my 2012 list of seeds wanted. How do you gather seeds from that or does it reseed itself?

Today I saw little sprouts coming up in two of my patio containers and I have no idea yet what they are or what I had in those containers last year. Guess I'll have to drag out some photographs and see if that will help me.

ellenrr - I grew annual alyssum 'Royal Carpet' last year via WS. It was my first time growing it and it was not only fragrant, it was beautiful and tough as nails--bloomed non-stop right up 'til Thanksgiving. I never watered the plants even once and we had zero rain from June to October last year. Took me a couple hours every day just to water my WS perennials so the alyssum got neglected.

I know what you're thinking--if I'd spent the same amount of time watering it instead of taking/downloading/editing pictures, right?

I just love allysums! The annual kinds are work horses (flower and flower and flower all season if you keep shearing them back) and the carpet of snow has been reseeding wildly in my beds for years. I just let it go, and then if it is in a spot I want for someting else, I pull it out easily and start the new plant. Keeps the weeds down until I need a spot.

I use the perennial gold kinds on the fronts of beds; even though they don't flower for as long (but will give you a second show if you shear after the first one) the foliage is nice and low and fills in the spot I always get weeds in (between the walkway and the dirt.

I am trying one called "Wonderland Copper" this year and I am hoping to fall in love. Hasn't started germinating yet and the pack only had a puny amount of seed (you get so spoiled by generous traders that commercial packs always seem puny!)but I'll let you all know.

Pretty. I love alyssum, though I only grow the annuals.

Last year and this year I'm growing alyssum clear crystal. It's a shorter tetraploid, and comes as multi-seed pellets. Each pellet grows it's own little hos. Neat.

Karen

Gardenweed,keep on wasting time taking pictures!!cause I love them:0)

Thanks, Tom! My little point-and-shoot digital camera does all right for my flower portraits. If my flowerbeds ever get to the point where they're photo-worthy, I'll switch from close-up to landscape mode.

Here are a few of my top favorites from last year:

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