Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)

Lobularia maritima

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum) is a perennial (family Brassicaceae) found along the coast of California and in the San Francisco Bay area. Sweet alyssum is a common ornamental plant that has escaped cultivation and invaded disturbed coastal dunes, scrub, bluffs, prairies and riparian areas. It has a long flowering season, and appears to have the ability to rapidly colonize suitable habitats. This Mediterranean native may crowd out native plants in some habitats.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Lobularia maritima

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. (None for this species.)
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. (None for this species.)

Cal-IPC News Articles

• None for this species.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• None for this species.

Other Resources on Lobularia maritima

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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