Arabis
Arabis spp.
Special Features
Characterized by dense clusters of small four-petaled flowers that bloom in early to mid-spring, creating a carpet of delicate blossoms. Foliage is typically evergreen or semi-evergreen, forming compact mounds of narrow lance-shaped leaves.
Plant Specifications
Our team will help you integrate this plant into your landscape design
Growing Arabis on Martha's Vineyard
Arabis caucasica, the wall rockcress, is a mat-forming early-spring perennial ideally suited to the rocky, lean, sharply drained conditions found along stone walls, garden terraces, and coastal embankments throughout Martha's Vineyard. Its preference for excellent drainage makes it well suited to the gravelly or sandy-loam soils found in Vineyard Haven and Edgartown, where it creates a reliable ground-level carpet of white or pink spring bloom beginning in March and continuing through May.
The plant is naturally resistant to deer and tolerates the desiccating salt breezes that roll inland from Vineyard Sound without significant damage to its gray-green foliage. Estate Care professionals shear Arabis back by one-third immediately after flowering to maintain a compact, dense mat and prevent the woody legginess that develops in plants left uncut through the growing season.
