Also known as: Carpet of Snow, Sea Alyssum, Seaside Koniga, Seaside Lobularia, Snowdrift, Sweet Alice, Sweet Alison, Sweet Alyssum, and Seaside Lobularia
Family: Brassicaceae
Origin: Southern Europe, northern Africa, the Azores, Madeira Islands, and the Canary Islands
Typically growing to a height of three to nine inches, spreading from ten to forty-eight inches, a planting of Alyssum is most attractive on the edge of – and in sharp contrast – to the rest of the garden plants.
Its dainty flowers brighten up one’s day in various delightful shades of apricot, lavender, pink, purple, rose, and white. (But beware, though semi-tropical in origin, it thrives in cooler temps and more or less ‘melts away’ in the higher reaches of warmer climes in summer.
In conducting rather extensive secondary research (as that which I strove to do so when writing The Medicinal Jungle, Volume II), I discerned that, though it is found in somewhat divergent locales, few folks seem to have written much about this simple, yet attractive, honey-scented, four-petaled character.
And that’s a shame, as in my digging around, striving to become better acquainted with it, I learned that this attractor of pollinators such as bees and butterflies “. . . is renowned for its magical attributes, believed to bring luck, happiness, and ward off negative energy when placed in the home or garden.”
Elsewhere, I noted that its “enjoyable bloom boasts a fragrant scent and a serene, spiritual energy, which is said to provide an emotional balance in the home or office. Aside from symbolizing beauty, the Sweet Alyssum is said to protect an individual from heated encounters!”
Indeed, it’ll be happy to bring that all about as either groundcover or in containers around one’s home! So bursting with enthusiasm is it that, coming in pink, purple, and white, its profuse bloom sometimes all but overwhelms and obscures the foliage.
In Spain, its common medicinal usage has been as an anti-scorbutic and diuretic, as well as employed as an astringent for the treatment of gonorrhea and scurvy. In Afghanistan, it has been applied in the treatment of asthma and nervous disorders.
Back in history, it was used to treat the bites of rabid animals. In fact, the word Alyssum, in early Greek, meant “without madness.” Furthermore, ethnopharmacologically, it has been used to treat abdominal pain, ascites, bleeding gums, coughs, colds, edema, fluid accumulation in tissues, general pain, scurvy, and to eliminate excess water from the kidneys by supporting renal function.
Furthermore, in the past, some species of the Alyssum family were believed to cure hiccups, mental illness, and rabies.
It contains high levels of vitamins A and E, which support immunity, reproduction, and vision. It also contains vitamin C, a nutrient essential for maintaining blood vessels, bones, cartilage, and collagen.
The greens contain high levels of folate, iron, phosphorus, and potassium – nutrients that support our body’s tissue and cell repair.
Its small blooms have an intense, peppery flavor with bitter-sweet and earthy undertones. So mentioned and expanded upon – from the Internet’s great “Specialty Produce” site – I relay their good culinary synopsis as follows:
“Alyssum flowers have a sweet fragrance and peppery flavor that make them ideal for a variety of culinary applications.
The leaves and stems of Alyssum are also edible and can be used in much the same way as the flowers.
The umbels can be placed whole on top of cakes, main dishes, or appetizers to create a beautiful edible garnish and stunning presentation.
The flowers can be separated from their clusters and used to add texture, flavor, and visual appeal to salads, omelets, summer soups, grains, and fruit. The small size of the flowers makes them a perfect addition to confections like custards, cakes, and ice cream, as well as pressed into cookies and cheeses or frozen in ice cubes.
The blossoms can be whipped into a compound butter and spread on bread, meat, and potatoes, adding color and a burst of bitter-sweet flavor. Alyssum blossoms and leaves can be dried and added to herbal tea mixes.
The flowers should be harvested in the morning when they are at their peak color, and the petals are firm. They should remain attached to branches and in water or wrapped in a dry towel to remove moisture until they are ready to be plated to avoid wilting and browning of the petals.”
