Iberis 'Snowsation'

Iberis 'Snowsation': Big White Blooms on a Tiny Evergreen Cushion

Low, rounded mounds buried under big white flowers, like somebody spilled a whole bag of icing sugar at the bake sale. 'Snowsation' is spring's biggest WHITEOUT, minus the cancelled school day.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Iberis sempervirens 'Snowsation'
• Common Name: Evergreen Candytuft
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Large, pure white flowers in dense clusters that cover the plant
• Bloom Time: Mid to late spring (May to June)
• Foliage: Narrow, deep green and evergreen, in a low, rounded mound
• Features: Evergreen
• Plant Patent: USPP 29,637

Where to Plant: It fits the very front of a sunny border, the gaps in a rock garden, the edge of a patio or the top of a low wall. It also makes a neat spring filler in containers, then stays green as a backdrop for summer.

Companion Plants: Euphorbia polychroma brings yellow flowers in April and May at 30 to 45 cm, a cheerful partner for the white. Centaurea 'Amethyst in Snow' adds bicolour flowers at 30 to 40 cm from May into July. Sedum 'Dragon's Blood' creeps along the front at 5 to 10 cm with red flowers from June through August. Every plant here likes sun to partial sun, which suits a rock garden or sunny edge.

Plant Care: Give it full sun and well-drained soil. It does fine in sandy or average soil, but heavy clay that stays wet in winter is its main weakness. On clay, raise the planting area or mix in grit and compost. Water through the first season, then only when it's very dry. Shear it lightly after flowering to keep the mound dense and tidy. It's evergreen, so skip the fall cleanup and just trim any winter-browned tips in spring. Candytuft is a small woody subshrub. It doesn't need dividing and prefers to stay where you plant it.

History: Martijn Baijens bred 'Snowsation' in Venhuizen, the Netherlands, in 2013 from an unnamed Iberis sempervirens selection crossed with 'Tahoe', and selected it in 2014. It was patented in the United States in 2018 for Ball Horticultural Company and introduced through Ball's Darwin Perennials line.

Final Thoughts: Evergreen, deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. Plant a row along the front walk. THE BUTTERFLIES CALLED A SNOW DAY.