# Alyssum gmelinii

Alyssum gmelinii is a pretty flower that blooms in bright yellow. It loves to grow in sunny places and can make gardens look cheerful and bright!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Yellow Alyssum

![Alyssum gmelinii](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Alyssum_gmelinii_habitat.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alyssum_gmelinii_habitat.jpg)

## Appearance

The Alyssum gmelinii is a low-growing plant forming a dense mat of silvery-green leaves. It produces abundant clusters of tiny, brilliant golden-yellow flowers, creating a vibrant, carpet-like display, visually different from many groundcovers due to its intense color and early bloom.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Alyssum

## Interesting facts

- Even though it's small, it forms a cheerful carpet of color across hillsides!
- It's known to thrive in poor soils where most other garden plants would wilt!
- Its bright yellow flowers are like tiny gold coins scattered across rocky ground!
- This tough little plant often blooms very early, sometimes through late winter snow!

## Special abilities

- **Rock Rescuer:** Alyssum gmelinii can thrive in poor, rocky soils that other plants avoid, helping it survive harsh environments.
- **Early Bloomer:** Alyssum gmelinii has bright flowers that bloom very early, helping it attract pollinators before many other plants.
- **Drought Defier:** Alyssum gmelinii has adaptations to survive with little water, helping it endure dry spells on sunny slopes.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Important early-season pollinator.
- **Eaten by:** Small Cabbage White (*Pieris rapae*) — Caterpillars may feed on leaves.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching flowers.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Alyssum gmelinii?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Alyssum gmelinii?

10-30 cm

### How wide does Alyssum gmelinii spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Alyssum gmelinii?

0.3-0.5 cm

### When does Alyssum gmelinii bloom?

Spring to early Summer

### Is Alyssum gmelinii edible?

No

### Is Alyssum gmelinii toxic?

None

### What is Alyssum gmelinii's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Alyssum gmelinii: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/alyssum-gmelinii)