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Key characteristics

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

Groundcovers

Iberis sempervirens

Evergreen Candytuft

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.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate; prefers well-drained soil

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

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.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)