Aubrieta

Evergreen low-growing perennials, from south East Europe to Iran, often with pink to purple 4-petalled flowers, in spring. Good grown in a rock garden, front of the border, pots, or cascading over a wall. Full sun and a well-drained soil. Named after Claude Aubriet, a French botanical artist.

The flowers are very attractive to nectaring spring butterflies (especially orange-tip and green-veined white) and bee-flies, while the evergreen carpets of leaves provide shelter for innumerable invertebrates as well as conserving water in often dry environments. Although not native, A. deltoidea is often found in rocky places outside of gardens, but is not known to be having any adverse ecological impact.