Wallowa Mountains Sandwort

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Field of Green, Desert Moss

Brand:  Plant Select

Description:

An exceptional alpine plant which forms a low evergreen cushion of rich, dark green foliage; grown primarily for foliage, with only sparse, sporadic blooming in summer; great for edging paths, between flagstones, or in the rock garden

Ornamental Features

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort's attractive tiny grassy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year on a plant with a spreading habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort will grow to be only 1 inch tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Wallowa Mountains Sandwort is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.