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sweet alyssum
noun
: a widely cultivated European herb (Lobularia maritima) of the mustard family having narrow leaves and clusters of small fragrant usually white or pink flowers
Examples of sweet alyssum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hot summer temperatures sometimes cause sweet alyssum to stop blooming, but these plants will flower again when temperatures cool.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2024
Oregano Botanical Name: Coriandrum sativum Planting Time: Late spring, after threat of frost has passed
The nectaries of oregano blooms are a little larger than those of cilantro and sweet alyssum and thus attract larger insects such as honeybees, native bees, and syrphid (flower) flies.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 June 2024
Examples include euphorbia, sweet alyssum, verbena, creeping Jenny and calibrachoa.
—Suzanne S. Brown, The Denver Post, 14 May 2024
Options for your new plantings include pinks, sweet alyssum, larkspurs, snapdragons, Iceland poppies, stocks, foxgloves, wallflowers, ornamental Swiss chard and, a little closer to March, petunias.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2024
This book offers planting and growing tips to create a moon garden, which includes plants and flowers that reflect moonlight, attract nocturnal creatures, and release scent after sundown such as a tuberose and sweet alyssums.
—L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2024
Also, make sure to plant flowers, such as sweet alyssum, nearby to attract pollinators because squash requires pollination to form fruit.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 12 May 2023
The same is true of snapdragons and low-growing sweet alyssum.
—Carol Stocker, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2023
The frost-proof flowers include pansies, chrysanthemums, snapdragons, calendulas and sweet alyssum, and the vegetables include plants from the brassica family ― cabbage, brussels sprout and radishes ― as well as root vegetables, leafy greens, peas, and fava beans.
—Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet alyssum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1822, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Sweet alyssum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet%20alyssum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on sweet alyssum
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweet alyssum
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