# hoary alyssum (*Berteroa incana*) Hoary alyssum is a pretty plant with soft, grayish leaves and small white flowers. It grows in many places and can be found blooming in the summer, making it a lovely sight in gardens and fields. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![hoary alyssum](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Berteroa_incana.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hardyplants at English Wikipedia, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berteroa_incana.jpg) ## Appearance The hoary alyssum has many small, four-petaled white flowers clustered at the top of fuzzy, grey-green stems. Its narrow, lance-shaped leaves are also covered in fine, star-shaped hairs, giving the plant a soft, frosted appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Berteroa ## Interesting facts - Hoary alyssum can make horses sick if they eat too much! - It often pops up in sunny places like roadsides and fields! - Its fuzzy leaves look like frost, even on hot days! - Its scientific name means 'hoary mustard', but it's not a true alyssum! ## Special abilities - **Fuzzy Shield:** Hoary alyssum has tiny star-shaped hairs on its leaves that help it store water and deter hungry plant-eaters. - **Speedy Spreader:** This plant can produce thousands of small seeds that scatter widely, helping it quickly colonize new open areas. - **Tough Roots:** Hoary alyssum has a strong taproot that helps it survive in dry, poor soils where other plants struggle. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-80 cm - **Spread:** 20-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its tiny flowers provide nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** Small white butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — Caterpillars sometimes feed on its leaves. - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Bumblebees visit its small white blossoms. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [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. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [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 check with an adult before touching or picking plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify hoary alyssum? 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 hoary alyssum? 30-80 cm ### How wide does hoary alyssum spread? 20-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on hoary alyssum? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does hoary alyssum bloom? Summer to Fall ### Is hoary alyssum edible? No ### Is hoary alyssum toxic? Moderate ### What is hoary alyssum's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Butte-Anaconda Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butte-anaconda-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canoe-meadows-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Mazo Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mazo-beach) — Wisconsin, US · Nature Reserve - [SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sea-life-minnesota-aquarium) — Minnesota, US · Zoo - [Sawtooth Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sawtooth-botanical-garden) — Idaho, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see hoary alyssum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hoary-alyssum) ## 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*) --- Source: [Hoary Alyssum: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hoary-alyssum)