Best Seeds for a Rock Garden: Herbs, Perennials, Succulents & More

Rock gardens turn tough sites—boulder-strewn slopes, stone-filled yards—into thriving plant habitats. Sandy, shallow, infertile soil suits many species. Start seeds indoors; transplant seedlings by tucking them among rocks.

Herbs

Mediterranean herbs love rocky, dry conditions. Match plants to microclimates: lavender and rosemary for dry, crumbly spots; mint and lady's mantle for moister lower slopes. Dozens thrive from seed: basil, salad burnet, calendula, chamomile, catmint, chives, costmary, dittany, garlic chives, oregano, sage, horehound, hyssop, lady's mantle, lavender, mint, parsley, pennyroyal, rosemary, southernwood, scented geranium, marjoram, thyme.

Flowering Perennials

Alpine and rock garden stars: yarrow, common thrift, snow-in-summer, pinks (dianthus), blanketflower, alpine aster, "blanket of gold," heather, heath, hardy geranium, evening primrose, alpine poppies, columbines, fringed bleeding heart, shooting star, phlox, foamflower, violet.

Trees & Shrubs

Start indoors; use nursery bed for 1–2 years with winter protection. Dwarf/small varieties best: barberry, cotoneaster, dwarf juniper, pine, fir, yew, arborvitae, Hinoki false cypress, lowbush blueberry, dwarf rhododendron, azaleas.

Succulents

Stones retain heat, letting you grow plants beyond your zone: hens and chicks, prickly pear cactus, yellow stonecrop, euphorbia.

Bulbs

Not seeds, but easiest start for some flowers. Small bulbs: jonquils, crocus, trout lily, Neapolitan cyclamen.

Ferns & Foliage

Shady alpine gardens: ferns (from spores—advanced), hostas (from seed—slow, may not grow true). Buy hosta seed from reputable growers.