Iberis 'Tuff Candy' is a vigorous floriferous candytuft cultivar known for its dense clusters of bright white flowers with a faint pink blush at the center. Blooming in early spring and often reblooming later in the season, it forms a tidy evergreen mound that provides year round structure. This cultivar stands out for its durability and extended flowering compared to traditional forms thriving in sunny borders, rock gardens, and container edges.
Height & Spread: 8 - 10 in x 12 - 14 in
Bloom Time: Early spring with sporadic rebloom through summer
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Well drained, alkaline to neutral soils
Watering Needs: Low to moderate; tolerates brief dry spells once established
Deer Resistance: Rarely browsed by deer or rabbits due to bitter foliage
Native Status
Derived from Iberis sempervirens, native to southern Europe. 'Tuff Candy' is a modern cultivar selected for improved hardiness and repeat blooming, but is not native to North America.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Bees
- Draws early season attention from honeybees and small native bees like Lasioglossum and Ceratina species seeking pollen and nectar.
Butterflies
- Attracts spring butterflies such as Spring Azure and Cabbage White with its broad shallow floral clusters.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations:
- Plant 10 - 14 in apart for full coverage and to form an interlocking ground layer.
Landscape Placement:
- Use in front of perennial borders, along walkways, or tucked between stepping stones for low growing, evergreen interest.
Companion Plants
- Phlox subulata 'Emerald Blue' - Creates a spring blooming tapestry when paired with white candytuft in sunny rock gardens.
- Salvia nemorosa 'Blue Hill' - Provides vertical contrast and deep color that follows Iberis blooms.
- Armeria maritima (Sea Thrift) - Compact mounds and pink button flowers complement the neat habit of 'Tuff Candy'.
- Veronica prostrata 'Tidal Pool' - Sprawling low blue blooms intermingle well with compact Iberis clumps.
- Thymus praecox 'Coccineus' - Evergreen mat with small magenta flowers complements candytuft and tolerates similar dry soils.