Aubrieta ‘Katie Purple’

We’ve grown this Aubrieta for years on our Thurning ground, and it’s a firm favourite for reliable spring colour. ‘Katie Purple’ forms a low, evergreen mound that becomes completely covered in a mass of purple flowers in mid- to late spring. It’s a fantastic plant for attracting bees and other early pollinators into the garden.

This is a compact, mat-forming perennial which will reach about 10cm in height but can spread up to 50cm across. It thrives in well-drained soil, including chalky or sandy types, and prefers a spot in full sun, although it will tolerate some partial shade. It’s particularly well-suited to life in rockeries, on banks, or in wall crevices where drainage is naturally sharp.

Care is straightforward. The most important job is to cut the whole plant back after it has finished flowering. This trim helps to keep the mat of foliage dense and compact for the rest of the year. It’s an excellent plant for garden edging, ground cover, or adding a splash of long-lasting colour to pots and containers.