05/23/2026
Iberis sempervirens, the evergreen candytuft or perennial candytuft, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, meaning it’s related to broccoli, cabbage, and other brassicas and are native to southern Europe.
Candytuft brightens gardens with its late-spring white blooms, that attracts pollinators and tolerates drought, thrives in sunny, well-draining spots.
I love it in borders, rock gardens, mixed perennial beds, and even containers.
A drought-tolerant, full sun to part shade, perennial, candytuft prefers the lean, gravelly soils of its native Mediterranean. Use it as a flowering groundcover around perennials that tolerate dry soil, like sedums, coneflowers, and Veronica. This perennial ground cover thrives in lean soil and doesn’t need much fertilizer to put on a beautiful spring show. It’s not suited for poorly draining gardens with heavy clay and isn’t recommended for humid regions, such as the southeastern United States. This ornamental plant is NOT edible and can be TOXIC if ingested, and the bunnies 🐇 and bugs seem to leave them alone too!
Hardy plant in Zones 3 to 9, it tolerates cold with ease. As an evergreen flowering groundcover, it remains green all year after the blooms have been spent. This group of 5 were planted 3yrs ago. I initially planted 4 and then added 2 more but one succumbed to drought. Because they sit on the boulevard (town) portion on the clients property, right next to the curb, the sprinkler doesn’t reach that far to water them to avoid soaking passersby; so I had to really soak their rootballs every time I was nearby, so drought tolerant? Yes, but only after their roots have gotten established and they start pulling water from the soil. The snow here in my part of Ontario, was tremendous and snowbanks were piled 6’ or more high (on top of these plants) by snowplows.
😉 I think they’ve held up nicely.
When to Plant Candytuft
Candytuft is typically planted in early spring, although some gardeners sow seeds outdoors in the fall before the ground freezes.
You can grow candytuft from seed. I personally start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. I attempted to sow some seeds in a pot, but they didn’t germinate so I gave up. But it’s worth it to give it another try. You can also sow seeds directly into the soil after frost danger has passed—if you don’t mind waiting a little longer for flowering to begin and can keep the area free from furry pests.
How to Plant Candytuft
* To sow candytuft seeds, prep your planting area by removing rocks, weeds, and debris, or fill seed starting trays or pots with seed-starting mix.
* Candytuft needs light to germinate, so cover the seeds with just a dusting of soil, then water them in. If you want a candytuft ground cover, space direct-sown seeds about 6 inches apart.
* For transplants, dig a hole slightly larger than the plant’s root ball and set the plant at the same depth it was growing in its nursery pot. Backfill, firm the soil around the base, and water well. If you’re planting multiples, space candytuft 12 to 18 inches apart so it can spread and form dense mats over time. There are 5 around this Flame Maple.
When selecting plants for my Moon garden, I will include a few candytufts since the white or pastel flowers show up nicely after dark.
