Mountain Rockcress 'Snowcap' is a low-growing alpine perennial that transforms rocky slopes and sunny borders into fragrant white drifts each spring. This mat-forming evergreen grows just 4 to 7 inches tall but spreads 12 to 18 inches wide (sometimes wider), making it exceptional as a ground cover in zones 3 through 8. The plant blooms from April through June with tiny, delicate, four-petaled flowers that are not only showy and fragrant but also excellent for cutting. Hardy, drought-tolerant, and completely deer and rabbit resistant, it thrives where many plants struggle: in shallow, rocky, infertile soils and hot, dry conditions.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-8
7in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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The flowers emerge in generous, loose sprays of pure white petals, each blossom barely half an inch across but so numerous they create a seamless carpet of bloom in spring. Gray-green, toothed foliage forms dense rosettes even in the depths of winter, giving the plant year-round presence in the garden. Its tolerance for poor, gritty soils and extreme drought means you can place it in spots where almost nothing else survives, yet it produces abundant fragrant flowers without coddling.
Mountain Rockcress serves primarily as a ground cover in rock gardens, alpine troughs, and sunny border edges where its spreading habit and low stature create natural texture without requiring frequent pruning. The fragrant flowers attract early-season pollinators and are small enough to work as delicate filler in spring bouquets. Because the foliage and flowers are edible, some gardeners incorporate young leaves into salads or use the blooms as garnishes, though the plant is more valued for ornamental than culinary purposes.
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Propagate by seed or by separating rooted rosettes in spring or early autumn. Plant rosette divisions or transplants into well-drained, gritty soil in full sun, spacing them 12 to 18 inches apart to allow room for spread. Harden off seedlings before moving them outdoors.
Cut back foliage after blooming concludes (late June) to encourage denser, more compact growth and prevent the plant from sprawling excessively. This light shearing maintains the neat mat-forming habit and can extend the plant's garden life, particularly in warmer zones where plants tend to decline in summer heat.
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“Arabis alpina is native to rocky crevices and limestone outcrops in alpine regions, where it has evolved to thrive in harsh conditions that would defeat most garden perennials. The cultivar 'Schneehaube' (meaning 'snow cap' in German) was selected and named for its exceptionally profuse white flowering, which blankets the foliage like fresh snow each spring. This variety carries forward centuries of traditional alpine gardening, where such tough, low-growing plants were prized for rocky gardens and stone troughs in European cottage and estate gardens.”