Guide to growing Purple rock cress Aubrieta
Aubrieta plants are hardy perennial alpine plants. They are therefore great rockery or edging plants.
They carry purple or blue flowers in the spring.
Common names for Aubrieta include Purple rock cress, and false rock cress. Plants of the Aubrieta genus are native to Europe.
How to grow Purple rock cress
When planting Purple rock cress outdoors it is best to sow out the seeds on the surface in the early spring or late in the autumn. If preparing Purple rock cress for growing indoors first, then they should be prepared about 7 weeks before they are due to be put out after the last frost of spring. They should be germinated for around two to three weeks in light at a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. As they can be young seedlings of Purple rock cress can be easily damaged by water it is essential that they are only watered from below. the seedlings of Aubrieta should be planted out in spring in a sunny rockery with a spacing of about 30cm; soil should be well drained and have a pH of around 6 to 7.5.
Caring for rock cress
Purple rock cress are easy to look after; they should be dead headed after flowering to prevent seed setting and the plant from taking over the garden.