Arabis caucasica
| Arabis caucasica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 0.5' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Winter-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Arabis caucasica (common name: rock cress)
Propagation: Seed - it is best to surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame[1]. Seed can also be sown in spring. It usually germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 21°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division after flowering[2]. Very easy, the divisions can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cuttings in a shady border in summer[3].
Cultivation: Easily grown in ordinary well-drained soil[3]. Prefers a poor soil[4]. Succeeds in partial shade[1] though it tends to become straggly[5]. Established plants are very tolerant of drought and grow very well on a dry bank[6], they also succeed when grown in walls[7][K].
A very ornamental plant[3], it is hardy to about -15°c[4], but can be rather invasive[8]. There are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[4].
A good butterfly and moth plant[9]. Bees are attracted to the flowers.
Plants resent root disturbance and are best put in their final positions whilst still small[1].
This species is closely related to A. alpina[8].
Range: S.E. Europe - Mediterranean. Occasionally naturalized in Britain[10].
Habitat: Mountain rocks and dry sites[11].
Edibility: The leaves are used as a garnish in much the same way as watercress[12]. They are also sometimes used as a potherb[12].
Usage: A good ground cover plant for sunny positions[13][5], forming a carpet[14].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Spring-Early Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. albida.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Napier, Elspeth. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells, 1989.
- ↑ Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.