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Brassicaceae
Hoary Alyssum
Berteroa incana
Tough survival on barren ground.
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Genus
- Berteroa
- Native to
- Europe, Central Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- annual or biennial herb
- Height
- 30–70 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, dry, poor soils
- Water
- low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- annual to biennial
Did you know
- The entire plant is covered in tiny star-shaped (stellate) hairs that give it a grayish-white 'hoary' appearance.
- Hoary alyssum is toxic to horses, causing fever, swollen legs, and potentially fatal laminitis if eaten in hay.
- Each small white petal is deeply notched, appearing as two petals unless examined closely.
- It colonizes disturbed, gravelly soils where few other plants will grow, making it a pioneer species.
- The genus is named after Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, a 19th-century Italian botanist who explored South America.
Color meanings
0
resilience
1
worth beyond appearances
2
tenacity