Sweet Alison
Sweet Alison on the beach, Holy Island
At the base of a wall in Somerset
Flowerhead
Egg-shaped fruits
Leaves
Lobularia maritima
Brassicaceae
April to September and all year in mild winters in the
South.
It is found throughout the country but is less common
in the North, the Midlands and Central Southern England.
It is widely planted as a border edging plant in gardens.
See the BSBI distribution map for Sweet Alison
It is a neophyte which has been grown in UK gardens
since the 1720s and known in the wild in England since
the early 1800s.
It is naturalised in marine habitats (cliffs and dunes) and
on waste ground, both by the coast and inland, especially
at the base of walls.
Sweet Alison is a low growing (30cm), annual, biennial or
perennial herb.
The flowers are 7mm across and have 4 white (sometimes
purple) petals and yellow anthers.
Fruits are egg-shaped.
Leaves are narrowly lanceolate.
Previous page: Subterranean Clover
Next page: Sycamore
Sweet Alison on the beach, Holy Island
At the base of a wall in Somerset
Flowerhead
Egg-shaped fruits
Leaves
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