The Erysimum - the most dependable garden plant!

I’ve long been an admirer of the Erysimum…the perennial wallflower.

The Erysimum is a member of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae.

Many years ago, as well as the biennial wallflower, I used to grow the perennial Erysimum (or Cheiranthus as I called it in those days) from seed. The choice of colours were limited to…orange and lemon! 

But nowadays, the Erysimum offers a choice of many colours….and boy, are they gorgeous!

 

They are hardy plants, which have a long flowering period. This makes them an excellent source of nectar for pollinators.

I prune mine very lightly after they have flowered, which often brings on further flowering.

After that, in the autumn, I usually give them a further prune as they can get leggy or woody. 

However, you can also take cuttings.

For me, they are a reliable and lovely ‘must’ for any garden!