Candytuft: varieties, propagation & plant care

Evergreen candytuft is a popular semi-shrub for cottage and rock gardens. This hardy plant is evergreen, so it still retains its foliage in the cold season.

Early on in the year, the greenery of the evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is completely covered by its snow-white blooms. However, there are also varieties whose flowers are a delicate pink-purple colour. We present the most beautiful Iberis sempervirens varieties and describe the main care measures and the planting method.

Evergreen candytuft: origin and properties

The evergreen semi-shrub is also called alpine snow and belongs to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae). The evergreen candytuft is native to the mountainous regions of southern Europe. Its range extends throughout the European Mediterranean to north-western Africa and Turkey. In some countries, such as Romania, England, Norway and Switzerland, the species is now naturalised. In the UK, it is quite rare to find it in the wild, but there certainly are cases.

Naturally, evergreen candytuft occurs at montane to alpine levels in full sun locations. There it grows on moderately dry, matgrass lawns (Nardus stricta), woody gravel slopes, or rocky outcrops. Natural sites have a low nitrogen supply and are slightly acidic to neutral.

This woody half-shrub is low-growing and cushion-like – it can grow up to 30 cm tall. The 2 to 4 cm-long leaves of the evergreen candytuft are leathery, dark green and lanceolate with entire margins. In summer, some of the foliage appears slightly bluish.

Among other things, this hardy plant owes its name to the four-petalled flowers, which are typical of the Iberis species: their shape resembles that of a bow. They form in lateral clusters on the shoots. The petals are white and take on a slight pink tinge as they fade. Because of the high sugar concentration in the nectar, solitary bees, honeybees (Apis) and also butterflies (Lepidoptera) and other two-winged flies (Diptera) are frequent visitors to the flowers. The fruits, which eventually form, are ovoid and each contains two narrow-winged seeds.

When does the evergreen candytuft bloom? The flowering time of Iberis sempervirens depends on the variety. Early flowering varieties open their flowers as early as March and bear them until June. The majority of varieties have a flowering period from April to May, and finally there are late varieties that bear flowers from April until around September.

The most beautiful varieties

The varieties of evergreen candytuft differ between early, medium and late flowering. In addition, the height of growth and flower colour may differ. We list the most beautiful varieties and their respective peculiarities:

Early flowering varieties:

• Iberis sempervirens ˈWinter Magicˈ: the flowering period of this variety extends from about March to May. Its flowers are white, and it reaches a height of around 40 cm.
• Iberis sempervirens ˈTahoeˈ: the pure white flowers of the ˈTahoeˈ variety also appear from March and remain until June. The width of growth is 45-60 cm and the height 20-25 cm.

Medium-early flowering varieties:

• Iberis sempervirens ˈWhite dwarfˈ: with a growth height of just 10 cm, the name of this variety is not unfounded. The white flowers generally appear from April to May.
• Iberis sempervirens ˈPink Iceˈ: the pink-tinged flowers of this variety can be admired from early May to June. It grows 30 to 40 cm wide and 20 to 25 cm high.

• Iberis sempervirens ˈDwarf Snowflakeˈ: this richly flowering variety, with a height of 15 to 20 cm, also tends to be one of the more delicate specimens. Its white candytufts appear from about April to May.

Late flowering varieties:

• Iberis sempervirens ˈMasterpieceˈ: the pink buds of these varieties open as early as April, and when open decorate the half-shrub with white flowers until September. It grows about 30 to 40 cm wide and 20 to 25 cm high.

Tip: related species that closely resemble the appearance of evergreen candytuft are bitter candytuft (Iberis amara) and rock candytuft (Iberis saxatilis). Rock candytuft is also an evergreen semi-shrub, whereas bitter candytuft is a horticultural annual.

Planting: location and method

Based on its natural habitat, it can be deduced that Iberis sempervirens can be cultivated very well in stony areas or on dry stone walls. Due to its low maintenance requirements, it is even suitable for green roofs. The location should be sunny and the soil loose, poor in nutrients and dry to at least summer dry. Waterlogging, especially in winter, will cause the plant to die as the roots of the evergreen candytuft will rot in these locations, particularly during wet European winters. Otherwise, the half-shrub is not very demanding on soil properties. By adding lots of sand, grit or gravel, normal garden soil or planting substrate can be levelled down and thus made usable for the candytuft.

Evergreen candytuft can be planted throughout the spring and summer. At the same time, it should not be placed any deeper than it was in the planter. If several plants are to be planted, maintain a distance of at least 40-50 cm between them. In general, you’ll achieve a more appealing effect by planting smaller groups than with all-over use: after flowering, the evergreen candytuft no longer provides a great feast for the eyes and can quietly be somewhat covered by the large leaves of any neighbouring plants.

Iberis sempervirens care

Caring for Iberis sempervirens is generally not too difficult. Since the half-shrub is very comfortable in dry soils, watering should be kept to a minimum and only minimally watered during prolonged drought.

To somewhat enhance the appearance of the evergreen candytuft after flowering, the shoots can be cut off by about half. This also better preserves the compact and dense shape.

Fertilisation should be done with caution, as Iberis sempervirens tends to sprawl with unstable shoots when nutrient levels are too high. The most suitable fertiliser granules are those that release their nutrients slowly over a long period of time. Our Plantura All Purpose Plant Food is such a gentle slow-release fertiliser that is recycled from plant residues from the food industry, thus protecting the environment. A single application of our slow-release fertiliser in spring is sufficient. Do not fertilise the candytuft in the autumn, otherwise it may be damaged in the winter.

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Is evergreen candytuft hardy?

Evergreen candytuft is hardy down to around -23 °C. In most cases, this is sufficient. In harsh locations, it is recommended to apply a protection of brushwood or leaves. Among other things, this helps against frost drought in which the plants can no longer absorb water due to the frozen ground and dry up. However, as mentioned above, very wet sites can also severely damage the evergreen candytuft in winter. Too much nutrient supply, caused by late fertilisation, also negatively affects winter hardiness.

Propagation

With its flat, sprawling growth, one might assume that Iberis sempervirens could be easily propagated by division – however, this is not the case due to the thin main root. Propagation via shoot cuttings or seeds is easier and more promising.

Propagation via head cuttings:

• Timing: shortly after flowering, in summer
• Cut off slightly woody, non-flowering head cuttings 10 cm in length
• Remove the lower leaves of the cutting
• Put the cutting in a moist mixture of soil and sand
• Place in a semi-shaded, sheltered location
• Plant out no earlier than spring to avoid winter damage

Alternatively, the evergreen candytuft also propagates by seed. To do this, do not prune the plant immediately after flowering, but a little later in the year. The inflorescences then reach seed maturity, and the plant reproduces itself by sowing. Alternatively, you can collect the abundantly produced seeds and sow them directly in autumn or spring. They germinate rapidly at 10 to 15 °C, within 7 to 10 days.

Is Iberis sempervirens poisonous?

The evergreen candytuft is classified as mildly poisonous at most. It is not suitable for consumption, either by humans or animals. However, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting only appear after ingestion of larger amounts. However, the bitter taste should already prevent consumption.

Another small half-shrub whose site also prefers sunny, dry, sandy conditions is the restharrow (Ononis). This native, dry grassland plant can be integrated into stony areas or low-nitrogen open spaces just like evergreen candytuft.