Description
Arabis
Arabis caucasica (Arabis albida)
-a robust species that grows well alongside Aubrieta & Alyssum in sunny sites. It flowers mostly in spring but has a tendency to last most of the summer into autumn as well but neither the leaves or the flowers are particularly pleasant to the nose when cut or bruised. The flowers are white but there are several hybrids now with various shades of pink.
Arabis ferdinandi-coburgii
.-from Macedonia & named after the Bulgarian monarch Ferdinand 1 who was also a botanist amongst other things.
Arabis ferdinandi-coburgii’ Variegata’
-This is now the most popular & the nicest clone found in my opinion.It is a lovely foliage plant, with fairly narrow variegated cream and green leaves and has small white flowers raised up on thin stems in spring.
Arabis procurrens & its Variegated form
are easily confused with ferdinandi-coburgii. I have been trying to get to a valid conclusion by using various references such as R.Farrer, W.Ingwerson & C.Grey-Wilson & I think that the ferdinandi-coburgii is more compact in its habit. The flowering stems are also much taller with A.procurrens, up to 30cm & the green is a much darker emerald green than ferdinandi-coburgii which has a very slight grey-green appearance. Both species have what seem to be fine hairs on the leaves which are ‘almost’ an irritant as they can scratch your skin or stick to your jumper when you are trying to propagate!!
Arabis ferdinandi-coburgii ‘Old Gold’
Is yet another fairly common clone with variegated leaves but distinctly more yellow than cream but again with small white flowers raised up on thin stems in spring.
Arabis ferdinandi-coburgii ‘Old Gold’
A low spreading variety with flat variegated rosettes of green and gold, white flowers in spring to early summer raised up on stemsCommon Name: rock cress
Family: Brassicaceae
Flowers: March-June
Height: 5cm
Spread: 30cm
Position: Sun or semi-shady spot, tolerant of most soils.
Use: Rock garden, trailing over walls, ground cover
