Carpet of Snow
What's special about Carpet of Snow
The classic pure-white 4 in low mat — pours over walls and edges beds beautifully. Sweet honey fragrance.
Growing this variety
Carpet of Snow follows the same growing basics as Sweet Alyssum. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Sweet Alyssum family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Sprinkle the tiny seed onto damp raked soil and press in — do not cover. Blooms in 6 weeks and keeps going until frost. Shear back by half at midsummer if plants get leggy — they'll rebloom in a week.
Grower's tip
Powerful honey scent draws hoverflies and parasitic wasps that eat aphids and cabbage worms — one of the best insectary companions for the veg patch. Reseeds gently.
Soil preferences
Well-drained garden soil. Native/wildflower species prefer lean soil; cutting flowers prefer richer beds.
6.0–7.0
Work 1 in of compost into beds before sowing. Skip nitrogen fertilizer on wildflowers — it favors foliage over blooms.
Watering
1 in per week during establishment, drought-tolerant once rooted for most species.
Deep, infrequent soakings at the base. Overhead water on ornamentals promotes botrytis and rust.
Overwatered: rotted crowns, mildew, floppy stems. Underwatered: small blooms, curled leaves, quick fade.
Either works — Bottom-water seed trays and young potted annuals to protect fragile stems from damping-off. Top-water established plants at the base in the morning so foliage dries by night. Avoid overhead sprinkling on open blooms.
Temperature tolerance
60–80°F (16–27°C) ideal for most annuals
50–65°F (10–18°C)
Cool-season annuals (larkspur, poppy, snapdragon) tolerate light frost; warm-season annuals (zinnia, cosmos, marigold) are frost-tender.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
8–14 in (20–35 cm) wide
Compact and dwarf types do best in pots; tall cutting flowers need staking.
Succession planting
Sow cutting flowers (zinnia, cosmos, sunflower) every 3 weeks through midsummer for continuous cut stems.
Detailed harvesting
Cut in early morning when stems are turgid. For cutting varieties, harvest when the bud is just showing color and 1–2 outer petals have opened.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Immediately re-cut stems underwater and place in clean cool water for 4 hrs before arranging. Petals can be dried on screens for potpourri or crafts.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Cut flowers, dried arrangements, pollinator habitat, edible garnishes (borage, nasturtium, calendula, viola).
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Mostly insect-pollinated (outcrossing).
For pure strains, isolate 150–800 ft or bag heads. Wildflower mixes are meant to cross freely.
Stop deadheading favorite blooms; let heads dry brown and rattling on the stem, then collect into a paper bag.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for sweet alyssum in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Carpet of Snow Sweet Alyssum notes
Carpet of Snow Sweet Alyssum seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow sweet alyssum from what you already have
Deadhead less. Let the best blooms fade and set seed on the plant — that's your next year's packet.
- 1Mark 2–3 of your favorite flowers with a bit of yarn and stop deadheading them.
- 2Wait until the seed head or pod dries fully on the plant — brown, papery, and rattling.
- 3Cut whole heads into a paper bag on a dry day; shake or rub to free seed.
- 4Sieve out chaff and store cool and dry in a labeled envelope.
Storage: 2–5 years for most flower seed.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Sweet Alyssum varieties
Royal Carpet
55 daysDeep violet-purple 4 in mat form. Same growth as Carpet of Snow in a rich royal color.
Easter Bonnet Mix
55 daysCompact 4–6 in mix of white, lavender, rose, and violet. Container and edging favorite.
Snow Princess
60 daysSterile trailing hybrid — massively larger than seed types and blooms all summer heat included. Sold as plants only.