Aurinia

( aw - RIN - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Basket-Of-Gold, this plant is a Mustard relative, and is native to southern Europe and Turkey. These plants need full sun or light shade and moderate water. Flowers will attract beneficial insects to the garden. Evergreen leaves are greenish-grey and form a spreading clump of foliage. Apricot to yellow flowers appear in tight, dense clusters in spring and early summertime. Aurinia are fantastic as foreground plants in beds or rock gardens, where they should be planted about a foot and a half apart for best coverage. The genus Aurinia is a member of the plant family Brassicaceae, and includes 10 species, only one of which (Aurinia saxatilis) is commonly cultivated as a garden ornamental. These plants grow well in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Caring for Aurinia

Aurinia plants can be grown from seed, but are also commonly available at reputable nurseries as specimens. These plants should be spaced between 12 and 18 inches apart for best coverage and airflow. Plant in full sun; between 6 and 8 hours of direct sun each day is ideal for the best blooms and overall performance. Ensure that soil is well-draining and has a pH of between 5.0 and 8.5 (acidic to alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Aurinia is considered drought-tolerant, able to get by for much of the year on rainwater alone with supplemental waterings during extended periods of dry weather.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Do not overfertilize these flowers; they commonly grow in rocky soils that are not overly nutrient-dense. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any point during the active growing season. They can also be trimmed back in early springtime to make way for new growth. After flowering commences, cut stems back by about half to keep a tidy, mounded form and discourage re-seeding. Aurinia plants can be divided every few years for best health; for instructions on how to successfully divide Basket of Gold, see the Propagation section below. These plants are considered short-lived perennials, and can live for several years in the landscape before needing to be replaced. In warm-weather areas, many gardeners treat them as annuals and pull them each year when they fade in summer. Pulled plants can be composted and replaced the following springtime after the threat of frost has passed. These plants will also freely re-seed in the garden if not deadheaded, providing seedlings indefinitely.

Propagation

The best ways to propagate these plants is via seed or division. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are harvesting seed from a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Aurinia plant, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Aurinia by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seeds of Aurinia plants are contained inside of the dried flowering heads of plants, which will turn brown and dry when mature. Once they have dried out completely, cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to release the seeds, and this process can be helped along with some rough handing (shaking of the bag). Once seeds have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes about 28 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Aurinia by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost, and pots (12 inch pots will do, and these are only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in spring; to propagate by division, follow these steps:

Gather your materials. Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the roots. Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water them in.
Apply a thick layer of mulch around the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout over the spring and summer seasons.