Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’
Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ is a vigorous, low-growing evergreen perennial that provides a stunning waterfall of rich blue blooms in early spring. Perfect for rockeries, walls, containers, and edging paths or borders, this reliable plant is ideal for brightening up sunny garden spaces. With a trailing habit and minimal maintenance needs, it’s a top choice for gardeners seeking vibrant colour and easy ground cover.
Quick Facts
Type: Evergreen perennial
Common Name: Aubrieta, Rock Cress
Flower Colour: Blue to violet-blue
Height: 10cm (3ft)
Spread: 60cm (2ft)
Flowering Time: April to May
Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -20 to -15 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H6)
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil; thrives in poor, sandy or gritty soils
Vibrant Spring Colour
From early to mid-spring, Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ produces a cascade of vivid blue to violet flowers, forming a stunning carpet of colour at the front of borders or spilling over walls and containers. The four-petalled blooms cover the foliage so densely that the plant often appears completely blue during peak flowering.
Ideal for Trailing and Ground Cover
As its name suggests, ‘Blue Cascade’ has a naturally trailing growth habit, making it perfect for softening edges, tumbling down slopes, or covering awkward gaps in stonework. Its mat-forming foliage also helps suppress weeds and stabilise sloping ground.
Evergreen Foliage for Year-Round Interest
Even when not in bloom, ‘Blue Cascade’ retains its small, grey-green leaves throughout the year, offering neat, low-maintenance structure in garden beds and rockeries. The evergreen foliage makes it useful for providing texture and winter ground cover.
Perfect for Sunny, Free-Draining Spots
This variety thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, especially in raised beds, alpine gardens, walls, and gravel borders. It’s tolerant of dry, poor soils and copes well with coastal and exposed sites, making it highly versatile in tough garden conditions.
Great for Pollinators
The open, early-season flowers are a valuable source of nectar for bees and butterflies at a time when few other plants are in bloom. This makes Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ an excellent addition to wildlife-friendly gardens.
Growing Tips
Watering: Keep moist during establishment. Once established, only water during extended dry spells.
Feeding: No regular feeding needed in borders. For potted plants, use a general-purpose feed in early spring.
Pruning: Trim back lightly after flowering to keep the plant neat and encourage fresh foliage.
Potted: Grows beautifully in containers, troughs, and stone sinks with good drainage.
Propagation: Easily divided in spring or autumn, or grown from cuttings.
Hardy and Reliable
Fully hardy across the UK, Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ withstands frost and cold weather with ease. It is generally pest- and disease-free, making it an easy and dependable addition to any garden.
Companion Planting Ideas
Pair with other low-growing, sun-loving perennials and alpines for a colourful, low-maintenance display. Ideal companions include:
These plants share similar soil and light preferences, creating a cohesive and textured planting scheme.
Why Choose Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’?
With its vibrant spring colour, trailing habit, and evergreen structure, Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ is a superb choice for adding reliable, long-lasting beauty to rockeries, borders, and containers. It requires little maintenance and performs well in even the driest, sunniest spots.
Choose Aubrieta ‘Blue Cascade’ for a vivid blue spring show, neat evergreen cover, and effortless charm across every season.
Buying Alpines from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our alpines after flowering to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy alpines, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email
orders@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
From late autumn onwards and dependant on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Alpines are a group of perennials that generally grow in rocky conditions at high altitudes.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
By using this simple guide and a little time, alpines can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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