Aethionema Warley Rose

Description

Aethionema ‘Warley Rose’ – Persian stonecress

Botanical name: Aethionema ‘Warley Rose’
Common names: Persian stonecress, stone cress
Family: Brassicaceae
Plant type: Evergreen alpine sub-shrub
Habit: Compact, low, bushy
Pot size: 9cm pot
Eventual size: Approx. 15cm tall × 20–30cm spread
Foliage: Small, blue-grey leaves on wiry stems; evergreen
Flowers: Domed clusters of fragrant rose-pink flowers, late spring to early summer (May–June)
Scent: Lightly fragrant flowers
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Sharply drained, gritty; tolerates lime; neutral to alkaline
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Open, sunny; dislikes wet, heavy soil
Native range: Garden origin; genus native to the Mediterranean and western Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Aethionema ‘Warley Rose’ is a compact evergreen alpine with blue-grey foliage smothered in domed clusters of fragrant rose-pink flowers through late spring and early summer. Perfect for sunny rockeries, walls and free-draining gravel gardens.

GardenAdvice notes

A neat, evergreen alpine sub-shrub in the cabbage family, ‘Warley Rose’ is a long-cultivated garden favourite prized for its generous, softly fragrant display over blue-grey foliage. It thrives in the lean, sharply drained, limy conditions of a rockery or wall, where it forms a tidy, long-lived cushion.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in full sun with very sharp drainage — a gritty or alkaline soil is ideal, and heavy ground should be improved with plenty of grit. It excels in rockeries, on the tops of walls, in raised beds and in gravel. Space about 25cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Water while establishing, then only in prolonged drought. Avoid rich feeding, and give a light trim after flowering to keep the plant compact and encourage fresh growth. It is naturally short-lived, so take a few cuttings each year to keep a supply of young plants.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in early summer, rooting them in gritty compost.
• Seed: Sow in spring in a gritty, free-draining mix.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. The main risk is rot on wet, heavy or poorly drained soil, particularly over winter. Given the sharp drainage it needs, it is little troubled by pests or disease.

Uses in the garden

Ideal for sunny rockeries, alpine troughs, dry stone walls, raised beds, gravel gardens and the front of very well-drained borders.

Wildlife value

The fragrant, nectar-rich flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Toxicity & safety

Aethionema is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Warley Rose’ is naturally short-lived, so the trick to keeping it going is to take a few soft cuttings each early summer — they root easily and give you fresh young plants to replace older ones that fade. Shear it over lightly after flowering and it will stay neat and often give a second flush.

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