Selected cultivar of the Grenoble pink, 'La Bourboule' is one of the oldest and most cherished rock garden pinks. Its name evokes the Auvergne spa town where it may have been selected or popularized. It shares the hardiness and robustness of the species, but is distinguished by an even more compact and trailing habit, forming over time large dense carpets 8 to 15 cm in height, with dark green to slightly glaucous foliage, persistent and tight.
The flowers are a bright pink to luminous lilac pink, with widely spread petals finely fringed on their margin, abundantly borne on short stems above the foliage. A notable detail: the petals often display darker veins radiating from the center, visible in good weather, which enhance the veined and luminous effect of each flower. The blooming is remarkably dense, almost entirely covering the foliage at the height of the season.
In its natural habitat, the species blooms from May to July. In cultivation, 'La Bourboule' generally blooms from May to June, with sometimes a slight rebloom at the end of summer if the clump is mowed after the first flowering.
Very accommodating, it is suitable for rock gardens, walls, borders, and paved interstices, in full sun, on well-drained, calcareous or neutral soil. Its ease of cultivation and generous flowering make it a reliable choice, essential in any collection of garden pinks.