Swiss Chard and Sweet Alyssum: Winning Edible Landscaping Combination (2024)

FAQs

Can I plant alyssum with vegetables? ›

Companions: Alyssum is a valuable addition to the vegetable garden and an excellent companion plant for broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, eggplant, and lettuce.

Flowers are edible and non-toxic to humans and animals. Sweet Alyssum is grown not only for the draw of its flowers in hanging pots and as a carpeting plant but also for its ability to attract beneficial insects in the field such as ladybugs and hoverfly. These insects are beneficial to plants as they feed on pests.

Although Chef Norman mostly uses Sweet Alyssum with caviar, he also notes its versatility. “This pretty little flower can be used in so many ways,” he says, “such as with lamb and game meats, even tomato salads.” Although the flowers can be used in their whole form, he separates the blooms from the leaves and stems.

Specifically, sweet alyssum is known to attract three main categories of beneficial predator insects (those that eat pest insects in the garden): 1) Minute pirate bugs (who eat aphids, thrips, mites, psyllids, and insect eggs), 2) Parasitic wasps (who lay eggs in aphids, beetles, flies, moths, sawflies, mealy bugs, and ...

Oleander and Foxglove, while beautiful, shouldn't be planted near your vegetables. All parts of these plants are toxic and harmful to your health. Gladiolus should be kept out of the garden especially if you're growing legumes like peas and beans.

Sweet Alyssum attracts parasitic wasps (braconid wasps), which are natural predators of flea beetles. Parasitic wasps also can control tomato hornworms.

Alyssum is native to the Mediterranean and a classic heirloom plant of cottage gardens. It's called sweet alyssum for the vanilla-honey scent of its white, pink and lavender blooms. It's in the same family as mustard and its flowers are edible, with a peppery taste.

Where to grow alyssum. As long as the ground is free-draining and doesn't remain damp, alyssum will grow in any reasonable garden soil. Full sun gives the best flowers although light shade still gives good results. Grow at border edges, in pots and window boxes, on banks, rockeries, or at the edges of vegetable beds.

The spreading mounds have well-branched stems covered with small linear leaves. The alternate, gray-green leaves are oval to lanceolate without any indentations. Because it is shallow-rooted, low, and spreading, it makes a good living mulch or seasonal ground cover.

Alyssum flowers have traditionally been used to treat various ailments, including colds, coughs, and abdominal pains. The flowers act as a natural diuretic and are used in some homeopathic remedies to prevent excessive water retention, edema, and kidney disease.

How do I use alyssum in my garden? ›

Sweet alyssum can be started in either spring or fall, depending upon your growing zone. You can successfully sow the seed directly into prepared beds or start them indoors. With direct sowing, each seed should be covered only slightly, as alyssum will benefit from exposure to light throughout its germination period.

Sweet Alyssum is generally non-toxic to dogs, but ingestion can still lead to mild gastrointestinal upset. Signs to watch for include vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive drooling. While these symptoms are often mild, they can cause discomfort for your furry friend.

Alyssum is a plant that is non-toxic to humans and most animals. The foliage and flowers are edible and very strongly flavored. Often, Alyssum is used as an edible garnish for sweet foods such as fruit or cakes.

Alyssum is considered an “insectary plant,” as it attracts syrphid flies, lady beetles, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, all of which are natural enemies of aphids and other plant feeding insects. In commercial agriculture, sweet alyssum can help manage aphids when planted en masse.

Sweet alyssum is mostly grown as an annual. In warm climates, it may survive the winter (zones 9 to 11) but if it comes back the next year, it is because it reseeded itself.

Sweet Alyssum is able to attract pollinators and predatory insects to increase the yield of cucumbers. It can be really frustrating to grow big lush cucumber plants that aren't yielding any fruit. A lack of flower pollination is often an issue for gardeners without enough native bees.

Companion planting with your 🍅 for better results! The other plant he shows off is alyssum, a flowering plant that helps control pests that might otherwise eat your tomatoes. Tomatoes are a favorite food to grow for gardeners, seasoned and new, but nothing can derail your momentum like a failed or underwhelming crop.

Sweet alyssum attracts beneficial pollinators and parasitoids, insects which attack vegetable pests and provide natural pest control. While research was done on sweet alyssum interplanted with lettuce, it won't hurt to plant this pretty annual alongside peppers, too.

Companion planting, or putting bee-friendly flowers (or flowers that repel pests) and vegetables in the same beds, is an easy and natural strategy to keep plants healthy and increase your harvest. Growing flowers in your vegetable bed attracts native bees and other beneficial insects.