image from photos-public-domain.com
Wind is starting to come up. We are in a storm warning for high winds, tornados and some rain. Hope it doesn’t get as strong of winds as they are predicting. Greenhouses will not like 80 mph winds. Temperature is unbelievable 65 degrees at noon. Stay safe all. Hope this isn’t going to be as the meteorologists predicted.
I am still working on plant order with plugs which are small baby plants we get in, and then we transplant them. Alyssum has lots of varieties, which one do we order? Then the variety what colors to carry? What would you do?
Wonderland White
Wonderland white alyssum groundcover is one of the most splendid sights in the world. It grows in small, white, star-shaped flowers that are absolutely breathtaking to behold. This variety brings an amazingly fine and fragile surface to a nursery structure and ought to be utilized to full effect. This plant will require infrequent support and upkeep and doesn’t require much pruning, except for when it is absolutely necessary; for example, to expel dieback.
Sweet alyssum flowers are beautiful, sweet-smelling, and add a touch of elegance to any space that they are planted in. The fact that this plant is low maintenance means that it is great for new gardeners who want a pretty looking garden in no time!
Snow Crystals
This is one of the easiest and most hardy Lobularia maritima varieties to grow. It is a vigorous plant and is well known for its mound growth. It is called “snow crystal” because of its white, ice slab-like appearance. Its flowers are bigger than those of other alyssum varieties and are more prone to being damaged when exposed to high heat and extremely windy weather.
It spreads about 0.5 to 1 feet and is usually 0.25 to 0.75 feet long. It can tolerate dry soil. Seeds should be sown before the last frost day, and it usually germinates in a few weeks. It starts to dry in the scorching heat and during harsh, hot summers but starts to bloom again as the weather gets cooler. The blooming time is usually from April to June, but it can also be sown around August for fall bloom.
Etymology
The word “alyssum” comes from the Greek word “lyssa,” which means “rage” or “bitterness.” It’s quite a contrasting name when you think about it, as this flower looks pretty and full of life. In the past, it was used as an antidote to treat diseases like rabies and was effective in calming angry souls. However, it is no longer used for these purposes and thus, has no further use in medical terms.
Taxonomy
Alyssum belongs to the “yellow mustard” family. Its botanical name is “Lobularia maritima” (Lobularia, its genus name, means small pod, and Maritima refers to its natural coastal habitat), and its common name is “sweet alyssum.” The order it belongs to is “Brassicales,” and it is part of the Brassicaceae family.
Features
The plant grows once a year and usually has a life span of more than two years. It exists as small shrubs and grows about 5-30 cm long and 20-30 cm wide. It has a very vast branch system with little flowers on each of its branches. The leaves are 1-4 mm long and 3-5 mm broad. They are alternate, sessile, quite bushy, oval, and with a complete margin.
The flowers are very small in diameter, about 5 mm, and have a sharp and sweet-smelling aroma. They are available in various colors, such as lilac, rose-red, violet, and pink. The six stamens have yellow anthers. Lobularia maritima blooms all throughout its growing season, or year-round in regions liberated from ice. They’re pollinated by bugs (entomophily). The seedpods are fuzzy and oval, with each containing 2 seeds. The propagation of these seeds is usually done by the breeze (anemochory).
They Attract pollinators
Due to their attractive colors, these flowers are used to attract pollinators and beneficial insects such as butterflies, hoverflies, ladybirds, hummingbirds, etc. Its strong, sweet smell attracts hoverflies towards it for nectar. One of the benefits of working with insectary plants is that new flowers start to sprout as others wither away, so the insects consistently have a trustworthy supply of nectar and pollen. This ensures that the offspring of these insects are well-fed, which will ultimately result in better protection for the gardens.
These insects prove to be useful in pollination. Bees, butterflies, moths, flies, and even certain beetles can carry pollen from flower to flower. Insects transfer pollen to the areas of the flower that need it for self-pollinating plants. Some insects can carry long pollen over long distances, which can assist in the distribution of genetic diversity within a population of plants. During this process, the insect picks up the pollen on its body and rubs it off on another flower, thus helps spread the pollen from one flower to another.
Taken from https://www.homestratosphere.com/types-of-sweet-alyssum-flowers/
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
I am still working on plant order with plugs which are small baby plants we get in, and then we transplant them. Alyssum has lots of varieties, which one do we order? Then the variety what colors to carry? What would you do?
Wonderland White
Wonderland white alyssum groundcover is one of the most splendid sights in the world. It grows in small, white, star-shaped flowers that are absolutely breathtaking to behold. This variety brings an amazingly fine and fragile surface to a nursery structure and ought to be utilized to full effect. This plant will require infrequent support and upkeep and doesn’t require much pruning, except for when it is absolutely necessary; for example, to expel dieback.
Sweet alyssum flowers are beautiful, sweet-smelling, and add a touch of elegance to any space that they are planted in. The fact that this plant is low maintenance means that it is great for new gardeners who want a pretty looking garden in no time!
Snow Crystals
This is one of the easiest and most hardy Lobularia maritima varieties to grow. It is a vigorous plant and is well known for its mound growth. It is called “snow crystal” because of its white, ice slab-like appearance. Its flowers are bigger than those of other alyssum varieties and are more prone to being damaged when exposed to high heat and extremely windy weather.
It spreads about 0.5 to 1 feet and is usually 0.25 to 0.75 feet long. It can tolerate dry soil. Seeds should be sown before the last frost day, and it usually germinates in a few weeks. It starts to dry in the scorching heat and during harsh, hot summers but starts to bloom again as the weather gets cooler. The blooming time is usually from April to June, but it can also be sown around August for fall bloom.
Etymology
The word “alyssum” comes from the Greek word “lyssa,” which means “rage” or “bitterness.” It’s quite a contrasting name when you think about it, as this flower looks pretty and full of life. In the past, it was used as an antidote to treat diseases like rabies and was effective in calming angry souls. However, it is no longer used for these purposes and thus, has no further use in medical terms.
Taxonomy
Alyssum belongs to the “yellow mustard” family. Its botanical name is “Lobularia maritima” (Lobularia, its genus name, means small pod, and Maritima refers to its natural coastal habitat), and its common name is “sweet alyssum.” The order it belongs to is “Brassicales,” and it is part of the Brassicaceae family.
Features
The plant grows once a year and usually has a life span of more than two years. It exists as small shrubs and grows about 5-30 cm long and 20-30 cm wide. It has a very vast branch system with little flowers on each of its branches. The leaves are 1-4 mm long and 3-5 mm broad. They are alternate, sessile, quite bushy, oval, and with a complete margin.
The flowers are very small in diameter, about 5 mm, and have a sharp and sweet-smelling aroma. They are available in various colors, such as lilac, rose-red, violet, and pink. The six stamens have yellow anthers. Lobularia maritima blooms all throughout its growing season, or year-round in regions liberated from ice. They’re pollinated by bugs (entomophily). The seedpods are fuzzy and oval, with each containing 2 seeds. The propagation of these seeds is usually done by the breeze (anemochory).
They Attract pollinators
Due to their attractive colors, these flowers are used to attract pollinators and beneficial insects such as butterflies, hoverflies, ladybirds, hummingbirds, etc. Its strong, sweet smell attracts hoverflies towards it for nectar. One of the benefits of working with insectary plants is that new flowers start to sprout as others wither away, so the insects consistently have a trustworthy supply of nectar and pollen. This ensures that the offspring of these insects are well-fed, which will ultimately result in better protection for the gardens.
These insects prove to be useful in pollination. Bees, butterflies, moths, flies, and even certain beetles can carry pollen from flower to flower. Insects transfer pollen to the areas of the flower that need it for self-pollinating plants. Some insects can carry long pollen over long distances, which can assist in the distribution of genetic diversity within a population of plants. During this process, the insect picks up the pollen on its body and rubs it off on another flower, thus helps spread the pollen from one flower to another.
Taken from https://www.homestratosphere.com/types-of-sweet-alyssum-flowers/
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
