In short
- It blooms in April and May for about four weeks, golden-yellow and very profusely.
- The leaves are silvery-grey and evergreen — the mound stays decorative outside the flowering season too.
- It needs full sun and dry, free-draining, poor soil; it tolerates lime well.
- After flowering, cut the mound back by a third — without pruning it splays sideways and exposes its woody centre.
- It is short-lived: every 3–5 years it is worth renewing it from stem cuttings or self-sown seedlings.
Botanical data
- Family
- Brassicaceae (Brassicaceae)
- Height
- 0.15–0.3 m
- Width
- 0.3–0.5 m
- Habit
- Clump-forming
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Position
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sandy, Chalky
- pH reaction
- pH 6.5–7.5
- Moisture
- Dry, Moderate
- Bloom
- April–May
- Hardiness
- USDA 3a–7b
- Propagation
- From seed, From cuttings
Characteristics
An evergreen perennial of sub-shrubby build: the shoots grow from a short rootstock that becomes woody with age and form a loose, dome-shaped mound 15–30 cm high and 30–50 cm wide, spilling freely from the crown of a wall. The basal leaves are obovate to spatulate, up to about 10 cm long, entire or shallowly lobed, while the stem leaves are markedly smaller; all are covered with a dense felt of star-shaped hairs that gives the plant its silvery-grey colour, reflects light and reduces evaporation — despite this appearance it is not a succulent and the leaves do not store water. The foliage is evergreen, so the mound stays grey throughout winter, although after frosty, snowless spells some leaves dry out and have to be combed out in spring. The flowers are about 6 mm across and have four petals arranged in a cross, the typical structure of the cabbage family; they are gathered by the several dozen into dense, branched racemes rising just above the leaves, and at peak bloom they cover the mound almost completely. The colour of the species is intensely golden, distinctly stronger than in the lemon-toned cultivars. Flowering falls in April and May and lasts about four weeks. The fruit is a silicle — short, elliptical, slightly inflated, with small seeds that sow themselves and readily germinate in the gravel at the plant's feet. The root system is deep and grows into crevices, so the plant tolerates drought very well but transplants poorly and dislikes the division of older mounds — which is why it is propagated from seed and cuttings rather than by dividing. It differs from the related mountain alison (Alyssum montanum), a native plant of dry sandy grasslands, chiefly in size and habit — that one reaches 5–20 cm and hugs the ground — as well as in its far more abundant inflorescence and in the shape of its basal leaves: in basket of gold they are obovate to spatulate and reach about 10 cm, in mountain alison they are narrow, almost linear and several times shorter. The silvery pubescence alone does not settle the matter — mountain alison also has grey, star-shaped hairs. Cold hardiness is very high (zones 3a–7b), but it copes less well with hot, humid summers and winter wet — it is the latter, not frost, that most often destroys the mounds in our climate.
Popular cultivars
- ‘Citrina’
- Lemon-yellow flowers, distinctly paler and cooler than the golden colour of the species — easier to combine with the violets and whites of a rock garden. In the trade it is sometimes also offered under the name Sulphurea.
- ‘Compacta’
- A cultivar with a lower, denser mound than the typical form of the species, splaying sideways more slowly. Good where the plant is meant to hold an even edging rather than spill from a wall.
- ‘Goldkugel’
- A compact, globe-shaped mound and a saturated, golden flower colour. In the international trade it also appears under the name Gold Ball.
- ‘Dudley Neville’
- A colour unusual for the species: flowers of apricot-buff, broken with brown rather than pure yellow. In the literature and the trade the spelling Dudley Nevill is also found — the Missouri Botanical Garden lists this cultivar under that form. A version with leaves edged in creamy white also exists, offered as Dudley Neville Variegated.
- ‘Variegata’
- Grown mainly for its foliage — the grey-green leaves have an irregular creamy-white edge. It grows more weakly than the green-leaved forms; individual reversion shoots with ordinary leaves grow more strongly and in time crowd the cultivar out, which is why they are cut out at the base.
Growing and care
Watering
In the ground it really needs watering only in the first season after planting and during prolonged drought — its deep roots reach water in the crevices. More dangerous than drought is standing water: on heavy, wet soil the woody base of the shoots rots, most often in late autumn and early spring, when the substrate stays saturated for a long time, and repeated freezing and thawing further damages the rootstock. In troughs and bowls the substrate dries out faster and needs monitoring.
Fertilizing
Feeding applies only to the surface nourishing of an already established mound — the soil is not amended with compost or fertile garden earth at planting (see site preparation). A thin layer of mature compost spread around the mound is enough. Nitrogen fertilisers are practically not used — on fertile soil the shoots stretch, the mound splays sideways and flowers poorly, and the plant overwinters less well.
Planting
A poor, free-draining substrate: mix heavy soil with gravel, grit or coarse sand, and on flat ground raise a slight mound so that water does not stand beneath the plant. The plant tolerates lime well, so it does well by low walls and on substrates of limestone rubble. Do not enrich the site with compost or highly fertile garden soil. The root grows deep into crevices, but the planting hole itself need only be dug to the depth of the root ball — the plant does not require deep planting.
Pruning
Shorten the whole mound by roughly a third, running the shears level over the cushion. The cut removes the setting seeds, tightens the plant and puts off the moment when the shoots splay sideways and expose the woody interior of the mound.
Companion plants
Good companions
Kwitnie dokładnie w tym samym terminie (kwiecień–maj) i wymaga identycznego stanowiska — pełnego słońca oraz suchej, przepuszczalnej, chętnie wapiennej gleby. Fiolet żagwinu i złoto smagliczki to najstarsze i najczęściej powtarzane zestawienie wiosennego murku.
Ten sam termin kwitnienia i te same wymagania (pełne słońce, przepuszczalna, uboga gleba), ale zupełnie inna forma: płaska darń floksa u stóp kopulastej kępy smagliczki wypełnia dolny plan skalniaka.
Kwitnie od czerwca do września, czyli przejmuje kwitnienie dokładnie wtedy, gdy z przyciętej smagliczki zostaje sama szara poducha; obie rośliny wymagają suchego, słonecznego stanowiska.
Kwitnie w tym samym terminie na biało i ma te same wymagania — słońce oraz sucha, przepuszczalna gleba z wapnem; biel łagodzi bardzo intensywną żółć smagliczki.
Bad companions
Wymaga stanowiska półcienistego oraz gleby kwaśnej, próchnicznej i stale wilgotnej — dokładnego przeciwieństwa suchego, słonecznego i zasobnego w wapń podłoża smagliczki skalnej.
Rozrasta się długimi, ukorzeniającymi się pędami i w kilka sezonów przerasta niską kępę smagliczki; woli przy tym stanowisko cienistsze i wilgotniejsze.
The evidence level indicates whether the relationship is backed by research, observation, or gardening tradition.
Diseases and pests
The disease develops in overly wet, poorly aerated substrate and attacks the roots and the base of the stem. The roots turn brown, rot and lose their bark, which slips off easily, and a dark, watery rot appears at the stem base. The above-ground part wilts, yellows and dies back despite moist soil – a characteristic symptom, because the damaged roots no longer take up water. Especially at risk are houseplants, succulents and cacti (from overwatering), and in the ground conifers, rhododendrons, ericaceous plants and strawberries on waterlogged sites. The process begins inconspicuously at the root hairs and root tips, which darken and disappear, after which the rot advances towards the framework roots and the root collar. Healthy, pale, active roots waste away — what remains is a dark, rusty-brown or blackish, watery mass, and the outer layer of the root bark slips off like a glove, exposing the discoloured central cylinder. In trees and shrubs, infection of the collar and the base of the trunk (stem-base rot) shows as a dark, often streaking patch, sometimes with oozing, and the bark there is moist and sunken; in conifers and rhododendrons, browning and dieback are seen from the bottom or from the centre of the crown while the soil is still moist. Characteristic is the nested (patchy) occurrence of symptoms in the bed — where water and the pathogen accumulate locally. It is worth distinguishing the two causal oomycete genera: Pythium mainly attacks seedlings and fine roots, causing damping-off and root rot in cool, wet substrate, whereas Phytophthora also attacks older, woody plants, framework roots and the collar, more strongly in warmer, water-saturated soil. Key for diagnosis is the contradiction of the symptoms: the plant wilts and looks 'dry', although the substrate is wet — this results from the destruction of the roots, not from a shortage of water.
Flea beetlesTiny (1–3 mm) beetles with black, or black and yellow longitudinally striped, wing cases and strongly thickened hind femora, with which they jump away like fleas when disturbed. They attack brassicas as well as radish, rocket, Chinese cabbage and kohlrabi. Symptoms: they chew numerous small, round holes in the leaf blades like a sieve, which is especially dangerous for seedlings and young plants, whose growth heavy feeding can completely halt. They cause the greatest damage in warm, dry weather. The name 'flea beetles' covers several species of the genus Phyllotreta — on brassicas in Poland most often Phyllotreta undulata, P. atra, P. nemorum and P. nigripes. Adult beetles overwinter in the upper layer of the soil, under plant debris and in leaf litter along the edges of fields, gardens and field margins. In spring, as it warms up (activity rises markedly above about 15°C), they emerge from their hiding places and fly onto the youngest brassica plants — which is why the first flights coincide with the emergence of the vegetables. Most species have one generation per year: the females lay eggs in the soil, and the larvae feed on the roots and fine rootlets (in most Phyllotreta doing little damage; the exception is P. nemorum, whose larvae mine the leaves). A new generation of beetles appears in summer, feeds up and moves into overwintering. The characteristic damage consists of shallow feeding pits and holes 1–2 mm in diameter clustered on the upper side of the leaf; under heavy pressure the blade looks as if riddled like a sieve, browns around the wounds and dries out. Most dangerous is feeding on the cotyledons and first true leaves and on the growing point — a damaged seedling stops developing, and the wounds may become entry points for secondary infections. The beetles are most active in the sunny, warm midday; cold, rain and high humidity clearly suppress their feeding.
Slugs and snailsSlugs and shelled snails that feed at night and after rain. Symptoms: irregular holes in the leaves and young seedlings eaten off completely, silvery slime trails on leaves and soil. The greatest damage occurs in damp, shaded spots — particularly on lettuce, strawberries and hostas. The most damaging in gardens are the slugs (which lack an external shell): the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris, formerly described as A. lusitanicus) and the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum). The leopard slug (Limax maximus) can be morphologically similar to them, but it feeds mainly on decaying organic matter and fungi and may even prey on other slugs, so it is of little importance as a pest of living plants. Shelled forms — grove snails (Cepaea) or the protected Roman snail (Helix pomatia) — usually cause less damage. The body is soft, elongated and permanently covered in slime; on the head there are two pairs of retractable tentacles — the longer upper pair bears the eyes, the shorter lower pair serves a tactile and olfactory function. Slugs and snails are hermaphrodites: they lay spherical, transparent or pearly eggs in clusters, hidden in damp soil, under stones and in leaf litter. A single Spanish slug can lay several hundred eggs; both eggs and young slugs overwinter, and feeding lasts from spring to late autumn, intensifying on warm, damp nights. The damage has smooth edges and often appears in the middle of the leaf blade, not only from the margin; seedlings and transplants are sometimes eaten down to bare soil, and on strawberries and ripening vegetables the slugs gnaw hollows into the fruit. The decisive diagnostic sign is the dried, silvery glistening slime trail — no insect leaves one.
Toxicity
| For whom | Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | None | — |
| Dogs | None | — |
| Cats | None | — |
History and origin
The species comes from central and south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor, where it grows on limestone rocks, sun-baked scree and dry, stony slopes — from Austria and Hungary through the Balkans to Ukraine and Turkey. Carl Linnaeus described it in his "Species Plantarum" of 1753 as Alyssum saxatile, and in 1815 Nicaise Auguste Desvaux moved it to the separate genus Aurinia; today the accepted name is Aurinia saxatilis. The change never caught on in the trade: in catalogues, on nursery labels and in older guides the plant still appears as Alyssum saxatile, which can be confusing when comparing descriptions and searching for cultivars. In Poland it is not part of the native flora — it arrived as an ornamental together with the fashion for rock gardens and dry walls that spread through gardens across Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. Breeding went in three directions: softening the species' very intense, golden colour (lemon and apricot forms), tightening and lowering the mound (compact cultivars), and finally selecting plants with leaves edged in creamy white, grown mainly for their foliage.
Uses
A staple plant of dry walls, rock gardens, gravel beds, banks and bed edgings, as well as the crevices of retaining walls, where the rootstock grows straight into the joint. It is most effective planted on an edge from which the mound spills freely downwards — at peak bloom it turns the stone into a single, golden cascade. It is planted 6–11 per square metre, at a spacing of 30–40 cm; with denser planting the plants soon close up and begin to crowd one another out. The soil should be poor and free-draining: mix heavy soil with gravel or grit, and on flat ground raise a slight mound so that water does not stand beneath the plant. The right mulch is grit or gravel, not bark — a moisture-retaining material at the base encourages the woody rootstock to rot. The classic company is basket of gold with aubrieta, evergreen candytuft and moss phlox, a set of plants flowering at the same time and needing identical conditions; low bulbs grow well out of the gravel between the mounds — botanical tulips, grape hyacinths and crocuses. It is worth planning a summer successor in advance: after flowering and cutting back, basket of gold is only a grey cushion, so neighbours such as thyme, stonecrops or pinks keep the spot decorative until autumn. It also suits troughs, bowls and planters on a terrace, provided the substrate is free-draining and the drainage sound, although in a container it ages faster and needs renewing more often. Do not plant it in spots shaded at midday or in fertile, freshly manured soil — in both cases the shoots stretch, the mound splays and flowering is poor. It also does not tolerate being trodden on, so between paving slabs it is suitable only at the edges.
Trivia
- The specific epithet saxatilis comes from the Latin saxum, meaning rock, and denotes "growing among rocks" — a direct description of the plant's natural habitat: the crevices of limestone walls and sun-baked scree.
- The genus Aurinia was split off from Alyssum, but the trade name proved more durable than the botanical one — two centuries on, the plant is still sold in Poland and Europe as Alyssum saxatile.
- The silvery tone of the leaves comes not from wax but from a dense felt of microscopic, star-shaped hairs; it reflects excess light and reduces evaporation, a typical adaptation of plants of heat-baked rocks.
- Basket of gold, aubrieta and candytuft flower at the same time and in three different colours — gold, violet and white. This combination is the oldest and still most frequently repeated scheme for planting a spring wall.
Frequently asked questions
Is basket of gold the same as Alyssum saxatile?
Yes — it is the same plant under two names. Linnaeus described it in 1753 as Alyssum saxatile, but in 1815 the species was moved to the separate genus Aurinia, and today the accepted scientific name is Aurinia saxatilis. In nurseries, on labels and in older guides the old name still dominates, so buying a plant labelled Alyssum saxatile gets you exactly the same species. It should not be confused with sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) — that is a low, white annual flowering all summer — nor with mountain alison (Alyssum montanum), a native species of dry sandy grasslands.
Why does basket of gold splay sideways and go bald in the middle after a few years?
This is the natural ageing of a sub-shrubby mound: the base of the shoots becomes woody, growth shifts to the perimeter, and the centre exposes bare, leafless wood. It is prevented by annual pruning straight after flowering, that is, cutting the whole mound back by about a third. Rejuvenating a neglected plant by cutting into the old wood usually fails, because the rootstock re-sprouts from it poorly — which is why every 3–5 years a new plant is raised from a stem cutting or a self-sown seedling is left in place, of which, on free-draining soil, there is usually no shortage.
When and how should basket of gold be pruned?
Straight after flowering, at the turn of May and June — in a single pass of the shears held level over the cushion, shortening the mound by about a third. The cut removes the setting seeds, tightens the plant and delays the splaying of the shoots. It is not pruned in autumn or winter, because the evergreen leaves protect the base of the shoots, and it is not cut into the old, leafless wood.
Basket of gold is growing vigorously but flowers poorly — why?
Most often because of soil that is too fertile or of feeding with nitrogen: the plant comes from poor, stony slopes and, on a well-manured bed, pushes out leafy shoots at the expense of flowers, and overwinters worse in the process. For this reason the soil is not enriched with compost at planting, and an established mound is fed at most with a thin layer of compost spread over the surface. The second common cause is too little light — it needs full sun, and in a spot shaded at midday the shoots stretch and flowering is poor. The third is the lack of annual pruning after flowering.
Will basket of gold overwinter in Poland without covering?
Yes — its cold hardiness reaches zone 3a, so frost itself is no threat to it in any region of Poland. The mounds are lost instead to winter wet: on heavy, damp soil the woody base of the shoots rots, most often in late autumn and early spring. Rather than covering (which additionally traps moisture), free-draining soil, a mulch of gravel or grit at the base and planting on a slight mound are more effective.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online (POWO)Database (GBIF, POWO…)
- RHS — Aurinia saxatilisInstitution / botanical garden
- Missouri Botanical Garden — Plant FinderInstitution / botanical garden
- NC State Extension — Aurinia saxatilisInstitution / botanical garden
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