Erinus spp.

Plantaginaceae Southwest Europe and North Africa

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Erinus spp. is a small genus of low perennials in the family Plantaginaceae, native to the mountains of southwestern Europe and North Africa. The most familiar species, E. alpinus, is widely grown under the name fairy foxglove or alpine balsam. Plants form low tufts or cushions of small, toothed evergreen leaves, reaching only 2 to 6 in (5 to 15 cm) tall and spreading a little wider. From spring into summer they carry many small five-lobed flowers, usually pink to purple and sometimes white, held just above the foliage. In the wild Erinus spp. grows in rock crevices, screes, and on old walls, rooting into narrow pockets of gritty soil. Individual plants are short-lived, often persisting only a few years, but they self-seed freely into cracks and gravel and so maintain themselves once established. The genus tolerates lime and poor, sharply drained ground, which suits it to rock gardens, walls, and paving. Its main limitation is a dislike of heavy, wet soils, where the crowns rot, particularly in winter.

Native Range

Native to the mountains of southwestern Europe and North Africa, including the Pyrenees, Alps, and ranges of Spain and Morocco. Erinus spp. grows in rock crevices, screes, and stony slopes, often on limestone.

Suggested Uses

Erinus spp. is grown in rock gardens, dry stone walls, gravel gardens, and between paving, where it seeds into narrow cracks. The flowers draw bees and small butterflies through late spring. Its low cushions suit troughs, alpine beds, and the tops and faces of retaining walls.

How to Identify

Low evergreen tufts of small, toothed, spoon-shaped leaves identify Erinus spp., rarely more than a few inches across. The five-lobed flowers are small and flat-faced, pink to purple or white, carried in short clusters just above the leaves. Its cushion habit rooting into rock cracks and walls is a strong clue.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2" - 6"

Width/Spread4" - 8"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from spring into summer, roughly April to July, with a long main flush in late spring. The small five-lobed flowers open in succession over many weeks. Light rebloom can follow in cooler conditions, and self-sown seed extends the display over time.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Pink to purple

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

rocky loam chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Erinus spp. grows in full sun to light shade in gritty, sharply drained soil, including limestone and poor stony ground. It is well suited to crevices in walls, rock gardens, and gravel, where its roots find cool, free-draining pockets. Little water is needed once established, and the plants tolerate drought in lean soil. Heavy, wet ground causes crown rot, especially over winter. Plants are short-lived but renew themselves from self-sown seed, so some open grit nearby helps seedlings establish. A near-neutral to alkaline pH around 6.5 to 8.0 suits them.

Pruning

No real pruning is needed for these small cushion plants. Spent flower stems can be trimmed to tidy the tuft, though leaving some to seed maintains the colony. Old or rotting growth is cleared in spring as fresh leaves appear.