PlantFiles: Gold Alyssum, Basket of Gold, Gold Dust
Aurinia saxatilis

I've just enjoyed the look and bounteousness of this hardy perennial plant! When the flower is finished blooming for the season, the green leaves and woody stems stay behind to provide ample coverage. Because I wasn't sure what this plant was last year, I didn't prune or cut back the dead foilage. But it bounced back this year and has done well. My alyssum is somewhat invasive; it has spread a little into my gravel driveway, but that's proof enough that it can withstand extreme conditions such as poor/rocky soil, lack of water, and pet traffic (my dog is always running through them!) This would be a perfect choice for a rock garden or if you're strapped for water. A pleasant aroma as well.

This plant grows and blooms in partial shade. I use it as a border along my North walkway. It stays gray-green all winter.

evergreen shrubby perennial, vigorous and mat forming habit. Produces profuse golden-yellow clusters which cover the entire plant. Leaves are long oval shape and grey green.
other varieties include
'Citrinum' (lemon-yellow flowers),
'Compactum' (dense and compact),
'Dudley Neville' (buff-yellow flowers, very silvery leaves and compact)
'Plenum' (Flore Pleno'; double flowers and compact)
*variety descriptions from The Gardeners Palette

Soil: any well drain type prefers alkaline, lime-enriched
Sun: full sun
Other: cut back after flowering to maintain compactness and improve later blooms. ultra hardy.

Also known as Aurinia saxatilis. Basket of Gold is a perennial alyssum in zones 3-10. It grows 10" tall and needs to be spaced 9-12" apart. The flowers are golden yellow and the foliage is silvery gray. The leaves are covered with smooth, silvery hairs. They flower in early to mid spring. Plant in a well-drained, dry soil in full sun. The tiny flowers are massed above cleft leaves that are 3" long and lance shaped. This plant spreads quickly and produces a large amount of flowers every spring. After the flowers are faded, cut back by 1/3 to encourage the plant to rebloom.
This is a very easy to care for plant. They are excellent for rock gardens and borders, or cascading over a rock wall.
Cultivars:
-'Citrina'- pale yellow flowers
-'Plena'- deep yellow, double flowers in zones 3-7