# Small Alison (*Alyssum alyssoides*) Small Alison is a cheerful little flower that brings bright colors to gardens and fields. It has tiny, sweet-smelling blooms that attract butterflies and bees, making it a happy place for nature lovers! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Small Alison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Alyssum_allyssoides_eF.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alyssum_allyssoides_eF.jpg) ## Appearance The Small Alison has delicate clusters of tiny, pale yellow to whitish flowers with four petals. Its narrow, grayish-green leaves are often covered in fine hairs. It forms a low-growing, branched plant, visually distinct from brighter yellow or larger-flowered weeds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Alyssum ## Interesting facts - Its ancient Greek name, 'Alyssum,' means 'without madness,' as it was once thought to cure rabies! - Small Alison flowers often have uneven, notched petals, making each bloom uniquely quirky to spot! - Though tiny, this plant can produce hundreds of seeds from just one flower in its lifetime! - You might spot it growing from cracks in pavements or old walls, showing how resilient it is! ## Special abilities - **Survival Seed Bank:** Small Alison can keep its seeds alive in the soil for many years, waiting for perfect growing conditions to sprout. - **Tough Terrain Tamer:** Small Alison has roots that help it grow in very dry, rocky, or poor soils where many other plants struggle. - **Rapid Recovery:** Small Alison can quickly sprout and grow in disturbed areas, helping to cover bare ground fast. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Spread:** 10-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — drinks nectar - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — gathers pollen - **Eaten by:** Cabbage white butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — larvae 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. - [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. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [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 look but don't pick flowers in nature, so they can keep growing! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Small Alison? 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 Small Alison? 5-30 cm ### How wide does Small Alison spread? 10-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on Small Alison? 0.2-0.3 cm ### When does Small Alison bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Small Alison edible? No ### Is Small Alison toxic? None ### What is Small Alison's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [North Entrance Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-entrance-road-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Fort Yellowstone](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-yellowstone) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mammoth-hot-springs-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Crowsnest Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowsnest-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Small Alison](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/small-alison) ## 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: [Small Alison: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/small-alison)