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Compinkie Arabis is a charming perennial flower that brings soft pink and lavender blooms to shaded garden corners and containers. Hardy in zones 3 through 9, this cultivar of Arabis caucasicas grows as a low mound reaching just 6 to 8 inches tall, making it perfect for edging beds, trailing from hanging baskets, or softening the base of deciduous trees. Open-pollinated and non-GMO, Compinkie reaches flowering maturity in its second year and thrives in partial shade where other bedding plants struggle.
Partial Shade
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3-9
8in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Half-inch pink and lavender flowers cascade from compact mounds that stay elegantly contained without constant pruning. Compinkie's real strength lies in its shade tolerance and trailing habit, making it one of the few bedding plants that actually performs beautifully on shaded porches and window sills rather than merely surviving there. The combination of soft color, delicate scale, and genuine shade preference sets this apart from sun-loving rock garden standbys.
Compinkie Arabis shines as a bedding plant for partially shaded spaces where conventional annuals fade. It trails beautifully from hanging baskets and window boxes, softens the hard edges of stone pathways, and creates elegant accents along the base of leafy trees. Its compact, spreading habit makes it equally at home in container gardens and ground-level border plantings.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Compinkie is a second-year bloomer, so seedlings started indoors in late winter will establish strong root systems before transplanting and will flower reliably the following season.
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days, then transplant outdoors after frost danger passes in spring. Space plants 12 inches apart. Partial shade locations, especially morning sun with afternoon shade, support the strongest growth and most reliable flowering.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for flowering the following year. Press seeds lightly into soil; they benefit from light exposure for germination.
Compinkie Arabis naturally forms a tight, dense mound and requires minimal pruning. Deadhead spent flower clusters regularly throughout the season to redirect energy into continuous blooming rather than seed production. After flowering fades, a light trimming keeps plants tidy and promotes fresh growth.
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