rock soapwort
Saponaria ocymoides
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones2 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moderate soil
Size6 to 9 inches tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Dense
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Pink
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Rock soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) is a perennial for rock gardens, borders, containers, and ground cover. It is hardy to USDA zone 2, or down to -50°F (-46°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to average, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Deer tend to browse other plants first. It grows 6 to 9 inches tall and spreads 12 to 24 inches in a dense, evergreen mat. Pink flowers open in spring and again in summer, and butterflies visit them.
Pairs well with Candy Stripe moss phlox, Pearly everlasting, and Red fescue.
Native range
Asia, Oceania, Lesser Sunda Is., and Maluku.