Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

Annual or Short-Lived Perennial
Fragrant
Pollinator Plant
Cool-Season Bloomer

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Hazardous parts

No hazardous parts found.

Preparation

Ornamental plant. NC State Extension states no human toxicity for it and RHS does not mention toxicity, so no source flagged a hazard; this is not a clearance.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

not applicable

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

NC State Extension tags sweet alyssum non-toxic for cats, dogs and horses. ASPCA's alyssum page covers 'Alyssum spp.' (non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses) but does not name Lobularia maritima, and a whole-genus page for a different genus cannot clear this species. With one species-level source only, no pet-safety verdict is given.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Alyssum (Alyssum spp.). To tell them apart: Sweet alyssum (Lobularia) is not Alyssum.. ASPCA's non-toxic Alyssum spp. listing does not cover sweet alyssum.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

Get the app: coming soon

Care

Hardiness zones: USDA zones 5a-9b (NC State Extension). UK RHS hardiness H3 (hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK; -5 to 1 C). UF/IFAS (Florida) rates it hardy and plants it in October in north, central and south Florida.
Light: full sun to part shade; appreciates some afternoon shade (NC State). UF/IFAS rates full sun as optimum. RHS: full sun.
Water needs: low
Mature size: 3-10 in tall and 6-12 in wide (NC State). RHS: up to about 4 in (10 cm) tall, spread 0.1-0.5 m.
Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)
Where it comes from: Southern Europe, west and central Mediterranean; introduced to the US west and east coasts, South America, Europe, Australia and parts of Asia (NC State Extension).