The Reiger Begonias
12
February
2013

Lobularia

LobulariaLobularias are alyssums with vigor. They used to be grouped with alyssums into the same genus; only in the past few years have lobularias been broken out into their own genus of five species. Now—alyssums have a reputation, and they always bring a certain image to mind. As a result, lobularia breeders don’t even want to be mentioned in the same sentence with alyssums. Their point is well taken—there are some significant differences between lobularias and alyssums:

  • Lobularias grow larger.
  • Lobularias are more drought-tolerant.
  • Lobularias are more heat-resistant.

However, alyssums come in more colors.

Compared to allysums, lobularias are like an athlete on steroids. The florets are larger, but they have the same strap-like leaf. Flowers cluster together, but some lobularias mound into domes while others are more pendulous and drape themselves over edges. Also, lobularias are mildly scented; usually when plants are intensively bred they lose their fragrance, but not in this case.

Lobularias work better in scale with more background plants because they are larger. Regular alyssums can be so short—3 to 6 inches—that the plants can become lost. Lobularias grow from 6 to 12 inches, depending on the series, so they create a more substantial presence in the garden.

With all this praise for lobularias, why would anyone want an alyssum? Where a very small element is needed—in the front border or among a rockery, for example—alyssums work better. Also, lobularias only come in white and lavender so far; alyssums have expanded their range of pastel colors.

We offer lobularias in four distinct series:

Lobularia SnowPrincess2'Snow Princess'

THE PRINCESS SERIES

‘Snow Princess’ (white) and ‘Blushing Princess’ (lavender) were the first to market. Offered by Proven Winners, these are the biggest and bushiest lobularias—they are the ones that reach 9 to 12 inches tall. ‘Blushing Princess’ is a little shorter than ‘Snow Princess’, but only by a touch.

Lobularia FrostyWhite
'Frosty White'

FROSTY WHITE

This is a fun series because the variegated foliage is so distinctive. ‘Frosty White’ tends to trail and spill rather than billow up. The blooms are not as impressive as a Princess, but the leaves fill in containers and gardens with a lot of interest. No lavender version is available.

Lobularia SilverStream2'Silver Stream'

THE STREAM SERIES

Less vigorous than the Princess series, it comes in handy—sometimes a Princess is TOO big to fit into a design. We offer ‘Lavender Stream’ and ‘Silver Stream’ for designers who need just the right size. It grows to about 6 to 9 inches.

Lobularia SnowGlobe2'Snow Globe'

THE GLOBE SERIES

From Hort Couture, these lobularias are related to the Stream Series but they are more compact (closer to 6 inches) and they really mound up into clean domes. They have the same heat and drought tolerance, but they offer a more architectural look. The foliage is also a lighter green than a Princess.

Every designer should add lobularias to their toolbox of useful plants. They soften the edges of the garden canvas and underscore the dramatic material growing above them. We offer lobularias in 4.5-inch, 6-inch and 12cm pots as well as 10-inch hanging baskets.