fragrant flowers

I do love tropical plants, but my favorite plants are ones that have white, fragrant flowers.

The patio in front of my house is full of these plants, some in pots and others in the ground. To name a few – there are almond verbena, Mexican olive, star jasmine, myrtle cominus, tuberoses and moonflower.

• Cool-season sweet alyssum

In the fall, I add a cool-season annual sweet alyssum to fill in empty spaces in pots and around the fountain. This alyssum looks beautiful through the winter, and the sweet scent is amazing when I walk outside. But as soon as it gets warm, it is gone.

• Warm-season lobularia

I was not aware that an alyssum called White Stream (a lobularia hybrid) had been developed – and it is heat-tolerant, which means a white alyssum can be used in a garden setting all year long with varieties in the cool season and the Stream series in the warm season.

White Stream named Superstar

Like all Texas Superstar candidates, White Stream lobularia underwent at least three years of extensive tests in field studies by various Texas A&M Research and AgriLife horticulturists. This plant was tested in both the Dallas Arboretum and in East Texas by Dr. Brent Pemberton, Texas A&M horticulturist and head of the Texas Superstar program. It met the requirements and was named a Texas Superstar in April 2015.

According to Pemberton, plants need to do well in all areas of the state, be easy to propagate and have minimal needs in soil preparation, water and pesticides to qualify.

White to purple to pink in color

Lobularia Stream, a hybrid series, also comes in lavender, silver, purple, a bi-color lavender, a bi-color pink and raspberry. White Stream is the most heat tolerant and can tolerate Texas summer sun, hence the Superstar status.

These plants were bred by Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm, an international flower farm that has been researching, breeding, producing and marketing bedding plants since 1953. This is a family-owned flower farm with locations in more than 60 countries. Propagation centers are located in Guatemala, Kenya, Columbia and Israel.

Conditions for growing

This annual needs full sun for best flowering.

• Plant after danger of frost

It should be planted in early spring after danger of frost in any type of well-drained soil.

• Plant 12 inches apart

This is a fast growing, spreading variety which grows 4 to 6 inches tall and spreads 12 to 18 inches It has a compact, mound-forming habit and will create good mat in three to four weeks. The plants should be placed approximately 12 inches apart.

• Requires moderate water, fertilizer

White Stream has a limited tolerance of drought and requires a moderate amount of water. You can use a continuous release fertilizer at planting and water soluble fertilizer in mid-summer.

Recommended uses

Lobularia has uses in the garden and beyond.

• In the garden

White Stream lobularia can be used as a ground cover in mass plantings. This fragrant plant can also be used in borders, rock gardens and as an edging for a flower bed. In hanging baskets or in containers it will add a delicate texture to your arrangement and cascade over the rim of the pot.

• Try it in a salad

Recently, I attended a talk at the Museum of the Coastal Bend in Victoria. The speaker was Mark “Merriweather” Vonderbroggan whose topic was foraging in your landscape. It is just amazing what is edible among your landscape plants.

Anyway, getting back to alyssum – the flowers can be eaten and used on a salad. I don’t have this heat-tolerant variety, but I did try the cool-season flowers, and they have a slight peppery taste.

No disease or insect problems

According to Pemberton, the field trials had no significant problems or disease. Keep a watch for aphids, thrips, slugs and whiteflies. Lobularia hybrid is not at a high risk for fungus problems.

Flowers

The blooms of White Stream are dainty, white clusters of tiny flowers, larger than those of cool-season alyssum and have a sweet honey fragrance. Deadheading, removal of flowers, is not necessary.

You might want to trim after flowering to keep the mound shape and encourage more flowers. The flowers attract butterflies but not deer.

Propagation

Heat-tolerant alyssum is vegetatively propagated (by cuttings) and is fairly easy to reproduce. No seeds are available. Only cool-season alyssum is grown from seed.

Alyssum all year long

So, yes, I am so happy to tell you that you can have sweet-smelling alyssum in your garden all year long.