I’m sorry I have to post the same question as my previous one did not explain well and I could not receive the answer…
https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/is-alyssum-back-to-my-garden/
LAST spring I planted alyssums seeds (the tag said ‘annual’)
in several pots and transferred them to sunny garden. They bloomed so beautifully and lasted until mid of fall.
I planted alyssum seeds (the tag said annual) in several pots and transferred them to sunny garden. They bloomed so beautifully and lasted until mid of fall.
THIS spring I planted the seeds again. I noticed that when they sprouted in the pots, there’re similar shaped sprouts were seen in the spot of my garden where last alyssums were blooming.
Someone told me that even annual alyssum can come back when the condition is good.
Then I’m wondering if I’m one of the lucky ones? Or are these just weeds?
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners with your question. Let me see if I can help to clear up any doubts you have following the previous response.
Although Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima syn. Alyssum maritima) is an annual and does not regrow each year from the root the way a perennial plant would, it does set seed at the end of the season, and new plants can grow from the seeds if they germinate successfully the following spring. It looks like the seeds from last years’ plants may have sprouted in your garden. It is difficult to make a definitive identification when the seedlings are so small, but it is definitely worth waiting to see if they grow into alyssum plants. Sweet Alyssum is one of the annuals that self-sows readily and the fact that these seedlings are showing up where last year’s plants were located certainly makes it likely that you have a new crop of Alyssum.
A few notes on self-seeded Alyssum plants — if your plants were a colour other than white, they were cultivars and you may be surprised to see this year’s flowers reverting to the white of the species. Self-seeded plants are also sometimes looser in their overall form than the ones grown from purchased seed. It will be interesting to see what happens! Let’s hope you are lucky!
The following link is to an article on Sweet Alyssum. It gives good information on taking care of these useful plants, as well as some great photos of the seeds that form on the plants:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sweet-alyssum-lobularia-maritima/
May 6, 2021