A Second Look at Sweet Alyssum

I know, I know: a lot of you probably look down upon lowly sweet alyssum. Serious plant people don't bother with such "dirt common" plants, right? If this is how you feel about sweet alyssum, it might be time for you to take a second look at the plant.

Technically a perennial, sweet alyssum is treated as an annual in regions with cold winters -- unlike the hardy perennial, yellow alyssum. So why bother with it? Well, I look at an annual as a "stop-gap measure" in the landscaping world. Annuals offer flexibility. Need a little color somewhere? Annuals come to the rescue. And you don't have to fret over them too much, precisely because you know they're temporary.

Of course, some annuals may be more useful than others, depending on your needs. Sweet alyssum has a variety of admirable attributes and is definitely worth a second look.

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