Days to Maturity: 133
Little Treasure™ White Improved Rock Cress is a sprawling evergreen perennial that blooms for several weeks in spring. Sweet-scented, clustered bouquets of small, 4-petaled, bright white blooms thoroughly blanket the plant. They support butterflies and bees, including the specialized bee Andrena (Scaphandrena) arabis, and make lovely cut flowers.
An Arabis caucasica (syn. A alpina subsp. caucasica), commonly called mountain rock cress, alpine rock cress, or wall cress, Little Treasure has a medium growth rate and a low, compact, mounding habit of attractive gray-green basal leaves. A rhizomatous plant with loose, spreading rosettes, it is particularly effective as ground cover, which will ramble down slopes, climb over rocks, and cascade over walls. But White Imp is also nice grouped in borders or massed in beds, especially in rock gardens.
Cold hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance, rock cress grows best in locations with full sun and gritty or sandy, well-draining soil, having a pH between 6 to 8. It tolerates shallow, rocky soil and some hot, dry conditions. But it will not tolerate the intense summer heat of the South or overly moist conditions, which may cause root rot. Shear plants lightly after blooming to maintain a dense, bushy plant; otherwise, the branches may become bare, with foliage only at the ends. The plants are deer and rabbit resistant.
Growing rock cress from seed is easy. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date and transplant seedlings into the garden in spring when the threat of frost has passed.
If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
