How to Grow Draba Plants in your Garden

Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Whitlow Grass, and Shadflower

Members of the Draba genus are small hardy perennials.

They bloom in the early spring with star like flowers of yellow, pink, white or purple.

As they are small plants (ranging in size from 3 to 20 cm) they are ideal for use in rock gardens.

One of the common names for Draba is Whitlow grass.

Draba paysonii
Draba paysonii by brewbooks.

Draba Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Whitlow Grass, Draba, Shadflower
Life Cycle: Hardy perennial. Hardy Biennial.
Height: 1 to 8 inches (2 to 20 cm).
Native: Europe, Northern America, North Africa, Asia.

Growing Region: Zones 3 to 8.
Flowers: Early spring.
Flower Details: white, purple, pink, yellow. Stars. Clustered.
Foliage: Hairy. Oval.

Sow Outside: Cover seed. Following the last frost. Spacing 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm).
Sow Inside: Germination time of Draba: one to three months. Temperature: 60 to 70°F (16 to 21°C). Some species may require that the seeds are first stratified in the fridge for a month. Nine or ten weeks in advance. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.

Requirements and care: Best results in full sunlight; can grow in light shade. Acidic soil with mixed in lime. Sandy or gritty soil. Autumn mulch in cold areas. Propagate: by dividing in the spring.

How to Grow Whitlow grass (Draba)

If you plan to sow Whitlow grass seeds outdoors then this should be done after the last frost of spring.

Simply cover the seeds once sown. Whitlow grass likes to grow in a sunny part of the garden, but is fine in slightly shaded areas too. It prefers a soil that is sandy and not too acidic.

If you first plan to grow Draba indoors for later transplantation then the seeds take from one to three months to germinate at a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Centigrade.

The Whitlow grass growing process should start about ten weeks before transplanting out after the last frost of spring.

Caring for Whitlow Grass and other Draba Plants in the Garden

Whitlow grass should be spaced at about 10 cm (4 inches) apart, ideally into a rock garden. As these plants do not like water from above, they are best grown under the protection of a rock overhang. If you require more plants they can be divided in the spring.

I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Draba plants. Updated September 2020.