Perennial of the Brassicaceae family, endemic to the Eastern Alps and the northern Balkan limestone massifs, where it grows on limestone rocks and screes at altitude, often alongside other specialized rock plants.
It forms compact cushions or clumps of 10-20 cm, with narrow, silvery-silky leaves, covered with a dense and tight starry indumentum giving them an almost white appearance. The flowers are yellow, in short and dense clusters, in May-June. This very silvery general appearance, contrasting with the yellow flowering, makes it one of the most ornamental species of the genus for the alpine rock garden.
Like most high-altitude alyssums, it requires perfect drainage, a limestone substrate, and full sun exposure, and above all dreads stagnant moisture in winter. It is cultivated in alpine rock gardens, limestone troughs, or cold frames for regions with very rainy winters. A collector's plant for alpine plant enthusiasts, it is available from a few specialized nurseries.