Low-growing habit: Rock cress is a low-growing plant, typically reaching only 6-8 inches in height, but spreading up to 2 feet in width. This makes it an excellent choice for ground cover, rock gardens, or as a border plant in flower beds.
Early spring blooms: Rock cress produces masses of small, four-petaled flowers in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white in early spring, often before other plants have started to bloom. This makes it a great plant for adding color to the garden in late winter or early spring.
Easy to grow: Rock cress is a hardy and easy-to-grow plant that tolerates a wide range of soil types and can thrive in full sun to partial shade. It is also drought-tolerant once established and requires very little maintenance.
Attracts pollinators: The flowers of rock cress are an important early-season nectar source for bees and other pollinators, making it a valuable addition to any pollinator garden.
Versatile uses: Rock cress is a versatile plant that can be used in a variety of ways, including as a ground cover, in rock gardens, in containers, or as a border plant.
Long lifespan: Rock cress is a perennial plant that can live for several years with proper care. It is also a good self-seeder, meaning that it will often reseed itself and produce new plants without any intervention from the gardener.
Culture Notes:
Sunlight: Rock cress prefers full sun to partial shade. It will tolerate some shade, but may not flower as heavily in these conditions.
Days to Germination: Rock cress seeds typically germinate within 14-21 days under proper growing conditions. Keep moist but not wet during germination. It is best to seed indoors under controlled conditions.
Planting Depth: Sow rock cress seeds 1/8 inch deep in a well-draining, sandy or loamy soil.
Germination Temperature: Rock cress seeds will germinate best when kept at a consistent temperature between 60-68°F (15-20°C).
Sowing - Direct or Indoors: Rock cress can be started from seed either indoors or outdoors. If starting indoors, sow seeds 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date in your area. If sowing outdoors, wait until after the last frost date has passed and soil temperatures have warmed up to at least 50°F (10°C).
Days to Maturity: Rock cress typically blooms in early spring, around 6-8 weeks after planting, and will continue to bloom for several weeks. As a perennial, rock cress will continue to grow and produce flowers each year.