Aubrieta, a cheerful ground cover, is a great candidate for edging your paths or tucking into stone walls if your site meets some basic growing requirements. When the profuse magenta flowers have faded, the grayish-green foliage maintains a handsome mat that covers bare areas under leggy roses or between paving stones on a garden path. These plants are far more common in Europe than in North America. The genus name derives from Claude Aubriet, a European landscape artist from the 17th century.

How to Grow Aubrieta

Aubrieta thrives best when planted in well-draining, alkaline soil in a full sun location. In midsummer, the foliage tends to die back and will benefit from a hard shearing. As a member of the mustard family, this is a tough plant that requires little care. Once established, it has a good tolerance for drought, and it resists nibbling by deer.