Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’
Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ is a vigorous, mat-forming evergreen perennial prized for its brilliant spring display and excellent trailing habit. With masses of vivid purple flowers and dense green foliage, it’s perfect for tumbling over walls, edging paths, and filling rockeries. Tough, easy to grow, and reliably hardy, this plant is ideal for gardeners looking to add low-maintenance colour and year-round structure to sunny spaces.
At a Glance
Type: Evergreen perennial
Common Name: Aubrieta, Rock Cress
Flower Colour: Rich purple
Height: 30cm (1ft)
Spread: 45cm (1.5ft)
Flowering Time: March 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 gritty, sandy, or poor soil
Cascading Purple Blooms in Early Spring
Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ bursts into colour from early spring, producing masses of vibrant purple, four-petalled flowers that almost completely cover the foliage. These cheerful blooms provide one of the first splashes of colour in the year and are perfect for lifting tired borders after winter.
Trailing, Spreading Growth Habit
As the name suggests, ‘Purple Cascade’ excels in spilling and tumbling over edges. It forms a tight mat of foliage that gently trails over walls, containers, and raised beds, making it perfect for softening hard landscaping or filling gaps in rockeries and between paving.
Evergreen Foliage All Year Round
Once flowering has finished, the plant continues to offer interest through its neat, grey-green foliage. This evergreen cover holds its form through all seasons and helps suppress weeds while keeping borders tidy and structured.
Drought-Tolerant and Easy to Maintain
Well-suited to sunny, free-draining sites, ‘Purple Cascade’ thrives in poor soils and requires little attention once established. It is drought-tolerant, making it ideal for dry banks, gravel gardens, walls, and other challenging areas in the garden.
Attractive to Pollinators
The early flowers are a valuable nectar source for bees and butterflies emerging from hibernation. Planting ‘Purple Cascade’ is a simple way to support pollinator populations and increase garden biodiversity.
Growing Tips
Watering: Water well when planting. Once established, water only in prolonged dry spells.
Feeding: Not usually necessary in the ground. Use a balanced feed for container-grown plants in spring.
Pruning: Lightly trim after flowering to maintain compact growth and encourage fresh foliage.
Potted: Ideal for pots, troughs, and alpine containers with gritty, free-draining compost.
Propagation: Easily propagated by division in spring or autumn, or by softwood cuttings.
Hardy and Weather Resistant
Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ is fully hardy across the UK and will reliably return each spring, even in exposed or frosty conditions. It is rarely troubled by pests or diseases and copes well in coastal or windy gardens.
Companion Planting Ideas
Pair with other spring-flowering, sun-loving perennials and alpines for a vibrant seasonal display. Suitable companions include:
These combinations add colour, texture, and long-lasting appeal to borders, walls, and rock gardens.
Why Choose Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’?
With its vivid spring flowers, neat evergreen growth, and trailing habit, Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ is a superb choice for adding year-round charm to sunny spots. Whether planted at the edge of a wall or allowed to spill over a rockery, it offers colour and structure with minimal upkeep.
Choose Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’ for reliable spring brilliance, evergreen coverage, and effortless beauty in even the trickiest garden spaces.
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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