One big clue when searching for full sun rockery plants is the names rock or alpine in the label.
Full sun rock garden plants.
A rock garden sometimes known as a rockery or alpine garden is a planting area designed with a hardscape featuring a selection of gravels rocks and or boulders it typically includes softscape plants suitable to those conditions.
Picking the right type of plants is as important as where you are going to put your garden.
The trick is to pick rockery plants that like sun as some are mountain denizens who prefer cooler low light situations.
If your garden gets 6 hours of direct sun per day then you are going to want to pick perennials that will thrive in the sun and will not need to be watered multiple times a day so they don t die from exposure.
The plants also have dark needlelike evergreen foliage that remains attractive all year long.
Plant in well drained dry soil.
Most of these are perennials but some annuals like dianthus dianthus barbados and alyssum lobularia maritima also work for full sun rock gardens.
Plants with a clumping or cushion forming growth habit are great for rock gardens where you don t want the plants to spread.
This lush groundcover will add a splash of lively green to your rock garden.
Creeping phlox produces carpets of blue purple rose pink or bicolor blooms.
Irish moss thrives in full sun but is not suited for intense heat.
This is a plant that does best in full sun but it also requires quite a bit of moisture to survive.
An ideal rock garden plant creeping phlox thrives in poor dry soil that drains quickly after rain.
Consider the type of plant how much sun it needs and how much water it will need.
If you are looking for a plant that will cover the rocks in your garden the rock cress is a great option that will give your garden a softer look.
Think rock cress yellow alpine alyssum or rock cotoneaster however there are scores of plants for the full sun rock garden in a variety of colors and sizes.
The best plants for a rock garden.
Plus not all plants that thrive in full sun also tolerate dry conditions.
Plant blue star creepers in full sun partial shade or even in full shade.
This creeping perennial is good to plant on sunny slopes in south facing rock gardens between stepping stones and under shrubs.
Here are 12 perennials that thrive in full sun.
However some of these plants still need a little sun protection during the hottest part of the day.
For some keeping their soil adequately moist is just as important as meeting their light requirements.
Full sun to semi shade.
The beauty of a well planned rock garden is the rocks and plants work together to elevate each other s impact.
In fact it tends to grow like moss which means that moist ground will be beneficial for its growth.
However if you want to enjoy its blue flowering cover plant it in an area that gets plenty of sunshine.
