About Hormathophylla spinosa (L.) P.Küpfer
Hormathophylla spinosa (previously classified as Alyssum spinosum), commonly known as spiny madwort, is a flowering subshrub species. It belongs to the genus Hormathophylla in the family Brassicaceae, and is native to open rocky habitats in south-eastern France and southern Spain.
This plant grows into a compact mound that reaches up to 30 cm tall. In early summer, its dense spiny branches, covered in tiny toothed grey-green leaves, produce racemes of white flowers at branch tips. It is particularly widely cultivated for use in rock gardens. The pink-flowered cultivar Hormathophylla spinosa 'Roseum' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
