Aethionema grandiflorum

Aethionema grandiflorum, Persian stonecress, forms a low, spreading mound of narrow blue-green foliage that hugs the ground and stays tidy through the seasons. In mid to late spring it covers itself in clusters of soft pink, cross-shaped flowers that fade attractively and continue to sparkle against the silvery leaves. The evergreen cushions bring year-round structure and color to rock gardens, gravel beds, sunny slopes, and alpine plantings, where its delicate flowers belie a tough, drought-tolerant constitution.

Native to rocky, limestone slopes of western Asia, this diminutive subshrub asks for sharp drainage and full sun, and it resents rich soil or winter wet that settles around the crown. Shear lightly after flowering to keep the mound compact and promote a second flush of bloom. Persian stonecress pairs beautifully with dwarf iris, Dianthus, and silver-leaved perennials, weaving together a tapestry of fine texture and gentle color that thrives in lean, sunny sites where fussier plants falter.