Also known as ‘wall Cress and Rock cress, Arabis species are useful in the garden, mainly as low growing ground cover plants.
Often grown in and along rock walls, arabis can also be used to plant between pavers in informal pathways. Not really suitable for heavy traffic areas.
With a real difference between the species they include alpine types. In general they are useful for underplanting in containers and make useful low growing plants for rock gardens, and edging.
They are hardy, tolerate dry conditions and prefer full sun.
Care
Most species are very hardy and grow well in full sun to part shade. They are not particularly fussy about soil type as long as they are well drained.
Pruning
Generally very little pruning is required, although taller shoots can be removed to maintain a low growing ground cover type plant.
Varieties
A number of varieties are worth considering some of the more popular varieties include :
- Arabis caucasica or ‘Wall Rock Cress’
- Arabis ferdinandi-coburgi ‘Variegata’
- Arabis alpina or ‘ Alpine rock-cress’
- Arabis blepharophylla or ‘rose rock cress’
