Basket of Gold Flowers – All You Need to Know

October 19, 2022 Benadine Nonye 0 Comments Flowers, Plants Section

With bright yellow, low-growing flowers, no wonder where the Basket of Gold Flowers got its name. Given its short height and golden color, this makes for a perfect addition to a rock garden or xeriscape.

Basket-of-Gold produces a blanket of bright yellow flowers in early to mid-spring on spreading clumps of oblong, gray-green foliage. Basket-of-Gold is best used in the front of a border or draping over the edges of stones in a rock garden.

It requires a Full Sun and a Well-drained soil. Zones: 4 – 8 with a Height of about 0.5 – 0.75 feet tall, it also blooms in Late Spring – Early Summer and is Deer resistant.

Basket-of-gold plants (Aurinia saxtilis) feature bright gold flowers that seem to reflect the sun’s golden rays. Although the individual flowers are small, they bloom in large clusters that intensify the effect.

The plants grow a foot high and as much as 2 feet wide, and they make fantastic ground covers for sunny areas. Basket-of-gold plant care is easy in areas with mild summers, but in hot, humid climates they tend to die back in midsummer.

If shearing doesn’t revive them, try growing them as annuals. Sow seeds in summer or set out bedding plants in early fall. Pull up the plants after they flower the following year.

Grow basket-of-gold flowers as perennials in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. How to Grow Basket-of-Gold Plant basket-of-gold in a sunny location with average, well-draining soil. The plants perform poorly in rich or overly moist sites.

Keep the soil moist while the seedlings are small. Once they are established, cut back to an occasional watering to keep the soil from drying out. An abundance of moisture causes root rot.

Use a very thin layer of organic mulch, or better yet, use gravel or another type of inorganic mulch. Shear off the top one-third of the plants in summer after the petals drop. Shearing revitalizes the plants and prevents them from going to seed.

The plants don’t need division to stay healthy, but if you want to divide them, do so right after shearing. In warm climates, you’ll have another opportunity to divide the plants in fall. Basket-of-gold plants only need fertilizer every other year or so.

Too much fertilizer results in poor flowering, and they may lose their compact shape. Scatter some organic fertilizer or a couple of handfuls of compost around the plants in fall.

You might find this plant labeled as yellow or basket-of-gold alyssum, although it is more closely related to rock cresses (Arabis spp.) than sweet alyssums. Two interesting A. saxtilis cultivars are ‘Citrinum,’ which has lemon-yellow flowers, and ‘Sunny Border Apricot,’ which has peachy-yellow blossoms.

You can create a striking effect by growing basket-of-gold in combination with ‘Citrinum.’ Basket-of-gold flowers make excellent companions for spring bulbs and sedums.

Read Also: Artemisia Flowers – All you need to know

Basket of Gold Flowers: All Common Names:

Basket-of-Gold, Goldentuft Madwort, Goldentuft Alyssum

Family (English):

Mustard

Family (Botanic):

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Tree or Plant Type:

Perennial

Native Locale:

Non-native

Landscape Uses:

Massing,
Mixed border

Size Range:

Small plant (6-12 inches)

Light Exposure:

Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily),
Partial sun/shade (4-6 hrs light daily)

Hardiness Zones:

Zone 4,
Zone 5 (Chicago),
Zone 6,
Zone 7

Soil Preference:

Dry soil,
Moist, well-drained soil

Tolerances:

Dry sites,
Occasional drought

Season of Interest:

Late spring,
Early summer

Flower Color & Fragrance:

Yellow

Shape or Form:

Creeping,
Weeping

Growth Rate:

Moderate

More Information:

Size

9 to 12 inches tall, 18 inches wide, mounded and creeping

Plant Care

Cut back by one-third to one-half after flowering to shape the plant and prolong life.
Plant requires good drainage and prefers dry soil. It will sprawl in overly rich soil.
Prefers not to be divided.
Semi-evergreen.

Diseases, pests and problems

No serious pests. Plant is short-lived, especially in the southern portions of its zone.

Native geographic location and habitat

Russia, Turkey and central Europe

Attracts birds or pollinators

Butterflies

Leaf description

Leaves are alternate with one leaf per node. They are 2 to 5 inches long with smaller stem leaves. They are oblong, gray, and fuzzy.

Flower description

The bright yellow flowers are borne on panicles. Each flower has four petals.

Fruit description

The fruit is a two-section dry pod, 1.5 to 3.5 inches, that splits open when ripe to release the seeds.

Compact Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxtilis ‘Compactum’): This cultivar is smaller in stature, with a rounded habit and bright yellow flowers. It grows to six to eight inches tall.

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Basket of Gold Flowers: All Common Names:

Family (English):

Family (Botanic):

Tree or Plant Type:

Native Locale:

Landscape Uses:

Size Range:

Light Exposure:

Hardiness Zones:

Soil Preference:

Tolerances:

Season of Interest:

Flower Color & Fragrance:

Shape or Form:

Growth Rate:

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Benadine Nonye

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