Scientific name: Lobularia maritima
Fact Box:
- Order: Brassicales
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Genus: Lobularia
- Species: L. maritima
INTRODUCTION
Bordering the brick path to the back of the high school door is a low-lying cluster of tiny white flowers, named sweet alyssum. With some imagination, the four-petaled flower could resemble two sets of round mouse ears — light, delicate, and soft.
Sweet alyssum is a member of the Brassicaceae, or mustard, family, which includes radishes (Raphanus raphanistrum) and wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), which can be cultivated as broccoli, cauliflowers, kale, brussel sprouts, and more common vegetables.
INTERESTING FACTS
Despite their fragile appearance, these flowers are super hardy! Heat and drought resistant, sweet alyssum has spread from its native Mediterranean habitat to many parts of America.
Ten Thousand Wildflowers 