Mummenhoffia alliacea (garlic penny-cress)

Mummenhoffia spp.

European mountains (Alps and other ranges)

Attracts Pollinators Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Mummenhoffia spp. is a small genus in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), recently separated from related rock-cresses and represented chiefly by Mummenhoffia alliacea, a low, tufted perennial herb of European mountains. Plants form basal rosettes and reach 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall in flower, with deeply lobed or pinnately divided basal leaves that release a garlic-like scent when bruised. Slender stems carry loose clusters of small white flowers, each with four petals in the cross-shaped pattern of the family, about 0.2 inch (4-6 mm) across, opening in spring and early summer. Flat, small seed pods follow along the stems. Native to shaded, damp, often limestone-rich rocky woodland and screes, the genus grows in cool, moist conditions and is intolerant of heat and dry exposure. The genus is little known in cultivation and is grown mainly by growers of alpine and European flora.

Native Range

Mummenhoffia spp. is native to Europe, with Mummenhoffia alliacea occurring in the Alps and other mountain ranges. Plants grow in shaded, damp, often calcareous rocky woodland, gorges, and screes.

Suggested Uses

Grown in shaded rock gardens, alpine troughs, and crevice plantings that stay cool and moist. Suited to collections of European mountain and woodland flora. The garlic-scented foliage adds a culinary-herb note in small shade plantings.

How to Identify

Identified by a low rosette herb with pinnately divided basal leaves that smell of garlic when crushed and slender stems of small four-petaled white flowers. The cross-shaped flowers place it in the cabbage family, while the garlic scent and shaded limestone-rock habitat help distinguish it. Flat small seed pods form along the flowering stems.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'

Width/Spread4" - 10"

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs in spring and early summer, roughly April to June, with white flower clusters opening over several weeks. In cool mountain sites bloom can run later. Seed pods ripen along the stems as flowering finishes.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 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 chalk loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in part to full shade on cool, moist, well-drained soil with a limestone or gritty component, matching the genus mountain-woodland origins. Consistent moisture and cool conditions are needed, and plants languish in heat and dry exposure. A shaded rock garden, crevice, or trough setting suits the small rosettes. Propagation is by seed sown fresh, which germinates after cool, moist conditions. Plants are short-lived in warm gardens and persist longer where summers stay cool. Slugs may graze the soft foliage.