Choose thrift by size and leaf: sea thrift, great thrift, or juniper-leaved thrift.
Choose sea thrift, great thrift, or juniper-leaved thrift first
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sea thrift | Maritima and its shop names. Compact coastal cushion. Grass-like leaves and poms on thin stems | Buying moss phlox as thrift |
| Great thrift | Pseudarmeria Ballerina. Broader leaves, larger heads, taller stems | Expecting the same 6-inch edging cushion |
| Juniper-leaved | Juniperifolia. Needle leaves in a tiny alpine mat for a trough or scree | Using it as a tall border front |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of armeria that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the tag for size and leaf, then the Latin. A compact grass-like cushion is sea thrift. Broader leaves and a larger head on a taller stem is great thrift. Needle leaves in a tiny mat is juniper-leaved. Pick sea thrift for a path edge. Pick great thrift when you want a taller stem in the front of a border. Pick juniper-leaved for a trough or scree where a 6-inch cushion still looks large. [1] Sea thrift is the familiar path-edge tuft; Splendens, Bloodstone, and Alba stay in that class. [2] Sun, water, and planting stay on How to Grow Thrift. [3] Juniper-leaved thrift is also sold as Spanish thrift or as Armeria caespitosa. Neighbors can smother that tiny bun, so give it a trough or a gravel scree, not the front of a mixed border.
What are types of thrift?
Garden jobs split by size and leaf: sea thrift, great thrift, and juniper-leaved thrift.
Is Ballerina the same as sea thrift?
No. Ballerina is great thrift, with a larger head and taller stems. Sea thrift is the compact coastal cushion.
Browse by kind
Sea thrift
sea thrift is the usual coastal cushion. Splendens and Bloodstone are deeper pink in that class. Alba is white. Rubrifolia has maroon leaves, still sea thrift.
Great thrift
Ballerina Red is taller great thrift, with a larger head. Ballerina Lilac and Ballerina White stay in that class, not a 6-inch edging cushion.
Juniper-leaved thrift
juniper-leaved thrift is the needle-leaf alpine mat. Use it in a trough or scree, not as a tall border front.
A 6-inch coastal cushion and a taller Ballerina are not the same purchase. [4] Victor Reiter is another sea-thrift shop name, not a fourth group.
Is Splendens a different species?
No. Splendens is a deep pink sea thrift. It is still the compact coastal cushion class.
Match sea thrift, great thrift, or juniper-leaved thrift before you plant. A path-edge cushion and an alpine mat are not the same bed.
FAQ
Do you list Victor Reiter?
Victor Reiter is another sea-thrift shop name. Treat it as sea thrift, not a new group.
How many thrift species are there?
The genus holds many species. The plants here fall into three groups. That is enough to buy from.
Is Spanish thrift a sea thrift?
Juniper-leaved thrift is also called Spanish thrift. It is the alpine needle mat, not the coastal sea-thrift cushion.
Does great thrift need different care?
No. Sun, grit, and a dry crown stay the same. The choose job is size: a taller stem and a larger head, not a new watering rule.
Related guides
References
- [1] Gardener's Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/grow-sea-thrift/ - [2] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sea-thrift-armeria-maritima/ - [3] Perennials.com -
https://www.perennials.com/plants/armeria-pseudarmeria-ballerina-red.html - [4] Perennials.com -
https://www.perennials.com/plants/armeria-juniperifolia.html
This note is part of Armeria Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors