Lobularia maritima

The genus name Lobularia comes from a Greek word meaning 'small pod,' referring to the shape of the fruits; the obsolete Alyssum can be translated as 'lack of madness,' referencing the historical use of the herb as a treatment against rabies. The name of the species maritima refers to its preferred coastal habitat.{{cite book|last=Coombes|first=Allen J.|title=The A to Z of plant names|year=2012|publisher=Timber Press|location=USA|isbn=9781604691962|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781604691962/page/312 312]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781604691962/page/312}}

Lobularia maritima is an annual plant (rarely a short-lived perennial plant){{cite book|author1=Bruce Asakawa|author2=Sharon Asakawa|title=California Gardener's Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/brucesharonasaka00asak|url-access=registration|accessdate=25 November 2011|date=3 September 2001|publisher=Cool Springs Press|isbn=978-1-930604-47-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/brucesharonasaka00asak/page/22 22]}} growing to {{convert|5|-|30|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall by {{convert|20|-|30|cm|0|abbr=on}} broad. The stem is very branched, with dense clusters of small flowers. The leaves are 1–4 cm long and 3–5 mm, broad, alternate, sessile, quite hairy, oval to lanceolate, with an entire margin.

The flowers are about {{convert|5|mm}} in diameter, sweet-smelling, with an aroma similar to that of honey, with four white rounded petals (or pink, rose-red, violet. yellow and lilac) and four sepals. The six stamens have yellow anthers. The flowers are produced throughout the growing season, or year-round in areas free of frost. They are pollinated by insects (entomophily) as its sweet honey-like fragrance is attractive to bees, flower flies, stingless wasps and butterflies.{{Cite web |title=Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima |url=https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sweet-alyssum-lobularia-maritima/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Wisconsin Horticulture |language=en-US}} The fruits are numerous elongated seedpods rather hairy, oval to rounded, each containing two seeds. The dispersal of seed is affected by the wind (anemochory).

This plant is native to the Mediterranean Basin and the Macaronesia region: (Canary Islands, Madeira, Cape Verde). It is widely naturalized elsewhere in the temperate world, including the United States. There is an endemic subspecies in the local flora of the Columbretes Islands of the western Mediterranean.[http://plants.jstor.org/specimen/ma308760-2 Paratype of Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. subsp. columbretensis R. Fern.]

It is common on sandy beaches and dunes, but can also grow on cultivated fields, walls, slopes and waste ground, preferably on calcareous soil, at an altitude of {{convert|0|-|300|m}} above sea level.

Lobularia maritima is cultivated in gardens, with many horticultural varieties with purple or pink flowers. The plant is best planted in early spring, but requires little maintenance when growing. Although an annual, it may reseed in temperate climates. It will flower more profusely if spent blooms are trimmed. When grown in gardens, it is typically used as groundcover, as it rarely grows higher than {{convert|20|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall. It is also grown in cracks in paving and walls, and is especially associated with coastal locations. It prefers partial shade, and is resistant to heat and drought. Plants with darker-colored flowers do better in cooler temperatures.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Lobularia maritima has high drought and heat resistance.

(Those marked {{smallcaps|agm}} have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.){{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 61 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 25 March 2018}}

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• 'Snow Cloth' (white)
• 'Royal Carpet' (purple)
• 'Benthamii'
• 'Carpet of Snow'
• 'Easter Bonnet Violet'
• Golf Series {{smallcaps|agm}}{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobularia maritima Golf Series|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/176791/Lobularia-maritima-Golf-Series/Details| accessdate = 29 October 2020}}
• 'Little Dorrit'
• 'Navy Blue'
• 'New Carpet of Snow'      
• 'Oriental Nights'
• 'Rosie O'Day' {{smallcaps|agm}}{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobularia maritima 'Rosie O'Day'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137390/Lobularia-maritima-Rosie-O-Day/Details | accessdate = 2 October 2020}}
• 'Snow Crystals'
• 'Snowdrift' {{smallcaps|agm}}{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobularia maritima 'Snowdrift'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137391/Lobularia-maritima-Snowdrift/Details | accessdate = 2 October 2020}}
• 'Sweet White'
• 'Tiny Tim'{{cite web|title= Alyssum Sweet Tiny Tim Seeds|url=https://botanicalinterests.com/products/view/1153/Alyssum-Sweet-Tiny-Tim-Seeds}}
• 'Violet Queen' {{smallcaps|agm}}{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobularia maritima 'Viollet Queen'

| url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137392/Lobularia-maritima-Violet-Queen/Details | accessdate = 2 October 2020}}

• 'Wonderland Copper'
• 'Wonderland White' {{smallcaps|agm}}{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Lobularia maritima 'Wonderland White'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/137393/Lobularia-maritima-Wonderland-White/Details | accessdate = 29 October 2020}}

{{div col end}}

The petals, leaves, and tender stems of the plant can be eaten raw or cooked.{{cite book |last1=Nyerges |first1=Christopher |title=Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature's Edibles |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4930-1499-6 |page=15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RwDHCgAAQBAJ&pg=PP15}}

File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima.JPG|Plants of Lobularia maritima

File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-4.JPG|Flowers of Lobularia maritima

File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-3.JPG|Flowers of Lobularia maritima

File:Lobularia maritima3.jpg|L. maritima, Osaka, Japan

File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-1.JPG|Leaf of Lobularia maritima

{{Reflist|30em}}

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• [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?2240,2557,2558 Jepson Manual Treatment]
• [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LOMA USDA Plants Profile]
• [http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=A103 Kemper Garden Center]
• [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Lobularia+maritima Photo gallery]

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Category:Annual plants

Category:Brassicaceae

Category:Edible plants

Category:Flora of Macaronesia

Category:Flora of Europe

Category:Garden plants of Europe

Category:Groundcovers

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus