Northwest Blooms · Groundcovers
Iberis sempervirens
Evergreen Candytuft
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Height
- 6 to 8 inches
- Width
- 12 to 18 inches
- Flower color
- Pure white
- Foliage color
- Glossy dark green
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate; prefers well-drained soil
- Maintenance
- Low; prune after flowering to maintain shape and encourage reblooming
- Growing zone
- 3 to 9
- Wildlife
- Attracts bees and butterflies with its fragrant flowers
About this plant
Iberis sempervirens, commonly known as Evergreen Candytuft, is a tidy, mounded perennial with glossy dark green foliage and a compact, low-growing habit. In spring, it produces dense clusters of pure white flowers at the tips of its stems, creating a stunning carpet-like effect. These long-lasting blooms attract bees and butterflies and provide a lovely fragrance. After flowering, it may produce small, round seed capsules.
This low-maintenance plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, is drought tolerant once established, and generally resistant to pests and diseases. Pruning after flowering helps maintain its neat appearance and encourages a second flush of blooms, making it an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, or ground cover.
Works well in
Rock Gardens · Borders · Slopes & Banks · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Yarrows · Creeping phlox · Lavender · Blue fescue · Ice plant · Coneflowers
Design tip
Plant broad drifts of this evergreen groundcover along paths, rock gardens, or sunny slopes to create crisp ribbons of spring color. Contrast its tidy mounds with upright flowering perennials and fine-textured grasses to establish structure, repetition, and visual balance.
