An alpine hill requires careful selection of plants that blend harmoniously with stones and are resistant to drought and temperature fluctuations. Even for such challenging conditions, there are many beautiful options to choose from.
The best plants for an alpine hill
In general, low-growing and compact plants that do not cover stones are suitable for creating an alpine hill. At the same time, the plants should bloom beautifully or decorate the flower garden with textured leaves. And to make the alpine hill look picturesque throughout the season, you need to choose plants with different flowering times and textures. We have compiled a list of the 15 best plants for an alpine hill for every taste.
Sempervívum
Sempervívum
Ideal for dry, sunny locations, forms attractive rosettes, frost-resistant, and does not require watering. To show off its decorative qualities, plant it in a part of the hill where there is minimal shade. With insufficient light, the plant will begin to stretch and lose its attractive shape.
Stones perfectly emphasise the delicate beauty of young plants, and sedum, thyme, and saxifrage are also good companions for this succulent. Original compositions can be created using young plants of different varieties and colours.
Saxifrága
Saxifrága
Saxifraga grows easily in rocky crevices. It blooms profusely with white, pink, or red flowers. Its delicate leaves are also attractive. Saxifraga also prefers sunny areas, but does not like direct sunlight, so it is better to plant taller plants on the south side of rock gardens. Irises, sedums, and low-growing conifers are suitable for this purpose. Saxifraga also goes well with phlox, viola, thyme, and milkwort.
Sedum
Sedum
This succulent is attractive primarily for its fleshy leaves. At the same time, there are varieties of plants with beautiful flowers. Both types will fit perfectly into the design of an alpine hill, especially since they can be combined. Among Sedums, you can find tall, creeping, and evergreen plants. All of them are valued for their unpretentiousness, in particular their drought resistance.
Decorative grasses, echinacea, hostas, and daylilies can be planted as ‘neighbours’ for Sedums.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss
This flower is one of the symbols of the Alps. Its silvery-white flowers look elegant and delicate. Its ‘fluffy’ leaves are also attractive. The plant loves the sun and thrives in poor soil (but does not grow well in fertile soil). Therefore, an alpine hill or rockery is the ideal place for it.
Edelweiss looks very aesthetic in combination with stones of various sizes. Among the plants that can be used as companions for this flower, you can choose violets, ageratums, miniature roses, and alpine asters.
Gentiána
Gentiána
Blue or light blue Gentiána flowers (there are varieties with yellow and lilac petals) will add brightness to the alpine hill. Some types of Gentiána bloom in spring, while others bloom in autumn. Their care also varies, so when choosing a specific Gentiána for your flower garden, consider its characteristics.
The beauty of Gentiána saxifrága will be emphasised when planted next to a soft cushion and meadowsweet.
Alissum rock
Alissum rock
Alyssum rock is beautiful with lush yellow curtains, and it also exudes a pleasant honey aroma. The perennial blooms in late May and continues to bloom until July.
The plant is often used in the design of alpine slides, and it also masks the empty spaces that form in flower beds after bulbous plants have bloomed. Turkish carnations, lavender, and low-growing irises can be planted alongside rock alyssum.
Iberis evergreen
Iberis evergreen
At the beginning of summer, Iberis will decorate the alpine hill with white ‘umbrellas’ of flowers, possibly delighting with repeated blooming in August, and in winter it will enliven the space with green leaves. Interestingly, during the flowering period, there are so many flowers that the leaves are practically invisible.
Note!
Iberis evergreen looks great in bouquets.
Alongside Iberis, you can plant phlox, marigolds, and gazania.
Armeria maritima
Armeria maritima
The pink, white, or red spherical flowers of seaside armeria are charming and will decorate your flower garden all summer long. This plant is not afraid of drought or wind, but it may need shelter for the winter.
Armeria maritima is ideal for growing on an alpine hill because it harmonises beautifully with its other ‘neighbours’ - sedum, stonecrop, saxifrage, phlox, thyme, and yarrow.
Phlox subulata
Phlox subulata
If you enjoy the sight of flowering, fluffy, multi-coloured carpets, make room on your alpine hill for awl-shaped phloxes. Phlox will quickly fill in all the gaps and create picturesque ‘paintings’ that can be complemented with sedum, obrieta, lavender, or echinacea. This ground cover plant also looks great with low coniferous shrubs. You can create a pleasing landscape by planting several varieties of awl-shaped phloxes next to each other.
Obrieta
Obrieta
Another plant capable of creating lush carpets among the stones. Hard stones and delicate ‘clouds’ of pink and purple colours are an excellent combination—Obrieta blooms earlier than other ground cover plants on alpine hills in April. Flowering lasts for a whole month, and in autumn it may bloom again, although a little less profusely.
You can't go wrong if you plant a few awl-shaped phloxes, rock alyssum, or foxgloves next to the obrieta.
Thyme
Thyme
Thyme planted on an alpine hill will add aroma to your garden. Its bushes will be more lush and bright in sunny places, but if flowering is not essential to you and you are satisfied with the ground cover effect, then you can plant thyme in partial shade. It grows quickly and does not require complex care.
Other plants from our list that can be ‘companions’ for thyme include fescue, verbena, and creeping juniper.
Cerástium
Cerástium
Unpretentious, drought-resistant, fast-growing, decorative not only during flowering (its silvery leaves are beautiful) – this is not a complete list of arguments in favour of Cerástium. What's more, its bushes retain their attractiveness for many years.
Cerástium can be planted in the lower tier under dwarf conifers, and can also be planted together with large bulbous plants (it will suppress small ones).
Carpathian bell
Carpathian bell
The blue and white flowers of the Carpathian bellflower will decorate the alpine hill all summer long. What's more, this annual plant is easy to propagate by self-seeding and requires no care. Its unpretentious beauty will not be lost against the backdrop of yarrow, eyebright, hostas, and bloodroot.
Dryad
Dryad
A pretty alpine plant with white flowers, distinguished by its impressive hardiness. Dryads only need a sunny spot and drainage to protect them from excess moisture. Because the plants cannot tolerate humidity, they are planted in the upper tiers of alpine rockeries.
Alpine rockeries with dryads can be complemented with decorative grasses.
Dwarf conifers
Dwarf conifers
Dwarf conifers go perfectly with almost all the plants listed in our article and are also suitable for rock gardens. They all add structure and provide year-round greenery. Dwarf conifers, unlike their larger relatives, grow extremely slowly, so you don't have to worry that they will change the landscape beyond recognition in the coming years.
Dwarf forms of fir, juniper, pine, spruce, and thuja are available in a wide variety of varieties, so you can easily find something to suit the design of your site.
Now you know the sure-fire options that will make your alpine hill attractive all year round. It is also essential to choose the right stones and lay them correctly.
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