The Sweet-Smelling Ground Cover That Will Add Charm To Your Birdbath

Imagine stepping into your garden to watch as birds splash around in your birdbath, taking in the sunlight and sweet smell of your flowers. Birdbaths alone can be a great place to start if you want to see more birds, but many types of flowers are among the types of plants that attract birds to your yard. When you choose a fragrant option like sweet alyssum, it's a powerful combination that both you and your feathered friends can enjoy. Not only do birds and pollinators love sweet alyssum, it makes for charming ground cover around your birdbath.

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a low-maintenance ground cover that can elevate the visual appeal of your birdbath, particularly when it's flowering. In bloom, in sports clusters of pale flowers ranging from white to pink, purple, or lavender. Although it offers dense ground coverage, spreading up to 9 inches in width, it can be easily paired with other flowers depending on how you plant it.

Before diving into planting sweet alyssum in your yard, it's important to note that this plant has been listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. It's worth reaching out to local resources to learn if this is a viable plant for your yard or not. Taking the extra time to research plants before adding them to your garden can help determine if species are invasive or otherwise regarded as unwarranted, as well as learning if they can thrive in your soil type and climate.

Sweet alyssum is overall a hardy option that's great for beginner gardeners looking for a fuss-free plant. It's drought-resistant once it's established and doesn't require much maintenance to thrive. As for USDA zones, you can grow sweet alyssum in anywhere from zone 5 to 11. However, zones 5 through 9 often experience sweet alyssum as an annual, while it can grow as perennial in the warmer end of its range.

When planting sweet alyssum, you want to choose the right soil. Fortunately, this plant isn't too picky, growing well in a variety of soil and pH types. However, you do want to aim for soil that is well-draining. Because this plant can tolerate droughts, even though it does bloom best with regular watering, you don't want water to pool or the soil to become waterlogged, in order to avoid root rot. Lastly, think about the sun exposure this plant will receive in your garden. Sweet alyssum can grow in full or partial sun. This makes it a great choice for around your birdbath, since you often want to avoid putting your birdbath in direct sun.

With its sweet fragrance reminiscent of the scent of honey to its charming flowers, sweet alyssum can be a popular addition to your garden. However, if you live in an area that can't support this plant, or in a region where it is invasive, there are other plants you can use to transform your garden into a bird sanctuary. This includes the colorful, hummingbird-friendly flower hoary vervain, which is native to the United States.