Pronounciation: I-BEER-is sem-per-VY-rens

Hardiness zones
Sunset 1-22 (winter annual in zones 12-22)
USDA 3-10 (winter annual in zones 9-10)

Landscape Use: In Phoenix, used as a floral accent in mixed mesic garden borders, edging plant, entryways, floral accent, children's or educational gardens, decorative patio containers.

Form & Character: Rounded and dome like to flattened, festive, pure, tender, vulnerable.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, perennial subshrub grown strictly (meaning only) as a winter annual in Phoenix, spreading by adventitious roots from stems that contact the soil surface (though not in Phoenix), much branched to 6- to 12-inches tall with equal spread.

Foliage/Texture: Slender, medium dark green, somewhat leatherly, simple, oblong, spatulate to lanceolate leaves to 1-inch long, nearly sessile, margins smooth; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Small, white, sometimes fading to pink, 4-petaled flowers in dense, flattened corymbs, sometimes fragrant; fruits round to ovate, insignificantly tiny, seeds narrowly winged.

Seasonal Color: White flowers show intensely during mid and late winter into early spring, December to April.

Temperature: Temperatures strongly parameterizes the seasonal use of cineraria in Phoenix in profound ways. On balance, it thrives in cooler weather with temperatures consistently below 85^oF and is a complete landscape wimp, fading quickly when late spring temperatures exceed 95^oF.

Light: Partial shade/sun is best, no southwestern or western exposures.

Soil: Grows best in well-drained, neutral pH to slightly alkaline (pH 6.5 to 7.5), sandy-loamy to loamy, organically-amended, nutrient-rich soils. Struggles in strongly alkaline desert soils (pH above 8.0).

Watering: Perfers regular "garden conditions", aka a rich, well-drained soil that is kept evenly moist. Thus, since evergreen candytuft is a winter annual in Phoenix, the amounts and frequency of supplemental waterings will be dictated by the frequency of winter rains.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Seed, requires sunlight to germinate.

Disease and Pests: Crown and root rot in poorly-drained, heavy soils.

Additional comments: Though lovely and relatively easy to cultivate, evergreen candytuft is rarely seen in Phoenix landscapes due to its intolerance of extreme lower desert heat and strong soil alkalinity. There are numerous cultivated selections, which vary in terms of compact growth habit or flower size and intensity.