Aubrieta 'Little Gem'

Common name: Aubretia 'Little Gem'

Description: Aubrieta 'Little Gem' is a delightful and aptly named compact cultivar of the much-loved aubretia, offering all the cheerful, carefree charm of this spring garden staple in a particularly neat and restrained form that makes it an ideal choice where space is limited or a more controlled, tidy habit is preferred. From mid-spring, the low, dense cushions of small, soft grey-green leaves are smothered in a profusion of bright violet-purple flowers of classic aubretia character, creating a vivid and generous carpet of colour that is one of the most reliable and uplifting sights of the spring garden. The compact, cushion-forming habit of 'Little Gem' makes it especially well suited to the edges of raised beds, the tops and faces of dry stone walls, rock gardens, alpine troughs, and the fronts of sunny borders, where its neat mounds of colour provide a tidy and cheerful display without encroaching on neighbouring plants. As with all aubretias, a light trim with shears after the main flush of flowering will encourage a fresher, more compact cushion of foliage and often promotes a secondary flush of bloom later in the season, extending the period of colour and maintaining the plant's attractive, neat appearance. Aubrieta 'Little Gem' is a thoroughly undemanding plant of great constitution that thrives in the poor, well-drained conditions of walls and rocky ground where many other plants would struggle, rewarding minimal attention with years of reliable and cheerful spring performance.

Other benefits: neat and compact cushion-forming habit ideal for small spaces, troughs, and rock gardens; vivid violet-purple spring colour; excellent for walls, raised beds, and alpine plantings; low maintenance and long-lived; attracts early pollinators; benefits from light trimming after flowering

Wildlife attraction: bees, butterflies, and other early-season pollinators

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 0.08m x 0.3m

Position: full sun essential; thrives in hot, dry, exposed positions including the tops of walls and south-facing slopes where drainage is sharp

Soil pH: performs best in neutral to slightly alkaline soils; pH 6.5–7.5; excellent drainage is essential; thrives in poor, stony, or gritty soils

Moisture: low watering requirements once established; highly drought tolerant; requires very well-drained to dry soil; avoid any moisture retention around the roots, particularly in winter

Winter hardiness: fully hardy to approximately -20°C; no winter protection required anywhere in the UK