Rock Soapwort 'Snow Tip'

Saponaria ocymoides 'Snow Tip' is a delightful white-flowered version of the common pink rock soapwort, offering a clean, refreshing look to the spring and summer rock garden. This is a vigorous, semi-evergreen perennial that forms a low, sprawling carpet of small, oval, dark green leaves. During its peak flowering season, the foliage is almost invisible beneath a dense blanket of five-petalled, starry white flowers. It is particularly effective when allowed to tumble over walls, down steep banks, or over the edges of large pots. In the UK, it is appreciated for its hardiness and its ability to thrive in sunny, dry positions with poor soil. It is an excellent plant for attracting pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. To keep the plant looking tidy and to prevent it from becoming too straggly, it is recommended to cut it back hard after the first flush of flowers has faded; this often encourages a second, smaller flush later in the season. Its resilience makes it a staple for beginner alpine gardeners.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, poor to moderately fertile soil.

Hardiness: H7 — below −20°C.

Flowering: May, Jun Shatter, Jul Shatter.