Iberis sempervirens
Evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is a ground cover plant that reaches 25 cm × 45 cm after ten years. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Sold in local shops from about PLN 24.
A low, cushion-forming subshrub with dark green, leathery leaves, covered in spring by so many pure white flowers that the foliage almost disappears. It suits rock gardens, wall tops and the edges of paths and beds, and flowers best in full sun. Good drainage is the key: it rots in standing water, and a trim by a third after flowering keeps it dense.
| Group | Ground cover |
| Light | Full sun, Part shade |
| Size after 10 years | 25 cm × 45 cm |
| Ultimate size | 15–30 cm × 15–45 cm |
| Hardiness | down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7) |
| Soil | Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowering | April–May, white |
| Water need | Medium |
| Drought tolerance | Medium |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Root aggressiveness | Low |
| Suckering | no |
| Spreading | Low |
| Distance from buildings | no data |
| Distance from paving | no data |
| Litter | not typical |
| Planting distance | 30 cm |
| For dogs | no data |
| For cats | no data |
| For children | Mildly toxic (uncertain) |
| Typical price | from about PLN 24 |
Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.
The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.
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Size
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Typical price
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| size not stated | approx. PLN 24 |
Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made
Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need
A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.
Building a rock garden: stone, soil and plants step by step
A rock garden belongs on a sunny, gentle slope, in lean, free-draining soil: one third garden soil, one third coarse sand, one third crushed stone. Lay the stones, all of one kind, in layers leaning the same way and sunk a third to a half into the ground, so that about two fifths of the surface is stone. Four to six plants per square metre are enough: creeping junipers and grasses make the frame, and between them cushion perennials, stonecrops and thymes flower from March to October.
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