Iberis amara L.
Annual candytuft
Wild candytuft is a small annual of the cabbage family and a genuine, though now scarce, British native. It forms low, branching plants bearing flattened heads of white to pale lilac flowers, with the outer petals notably larger than the inner ones, giving the clusters a distinctive lopsided charm.
About
Wild candytuft is a small annual of the cabbage family and a genuine, though now scarce, British native. It forms low, branching plants bearing flattened heads of white to pale lilac flowers, with the outer petals notably larger than the inner ones, giving the clusters a distinctive lopsided charm. The blooms are lightly scented and the plant has a faintly bitter character that lends it the alternative name bitter candytuft.
In Britain its stronghold is the chalk of southern central England, from the Chilterns west towards Wiltshire, where it grows on warm, sunny, well-drained banks, disturbed chalk grassland, old quarries, tracks and arable margins. Flowering through summer, it is visited by bees, butterflies and hoverflies. As an early-successional plant of bare, broken chalk it has declined markedly with changing land use, making it a worthwhile choice for calcareous wildflower mixes and conservation-minded plantings on thin, lime-rich soils in full sun.
Also known as
Rocket candytuft · Wild Candytuft · bitter candytuft
Synonyms
Biauricula amara · Biauricula panduriformis · Biauricula resedifolia · Biauricularia amara · Biauricularia panduriformis · Biauricularia resedifolia · Crucifera iberis · Iberis affinis · Iberis amara affinis · Iberis amara amara · Iberis amara arvatica
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.