Perennial of the Brassicaceae family, Erysimum kotschyanum is native to the Anatolian mountains in Turkey, where it grows on rocks, screes, and sunny stony slopes, at altitudes generally between 1,500 and 2,500 meters.
The plant forms bushy clumps, widely spread, with woody stems at the base, reaching 15 cm in height when in bloom. The foliage is evergreen, composed of small narrowly oval to spatulate leaves, bright green and slightly shiny, densely arranged on branched twigs that give it a particularly bushy and compact appearance even when not in bloom.
The flowers, with four well-rounded petals, display a pale lemon yellow to sulfur yellow, a characteristic that immediately distinguishes it from many other alpine Erysimum with more golden tones. They are gathered in abundant corymbs that literally cover the foliage at the peak of flowering. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July depending on the altitude. In cultivation under our climates, it generally occurs from April to June.
It appreciates a very well-drained soil, poor to moderately rich, in full sun. The rock garden, dry stone wall, or trough suit it perfectly. Robust and generous, it readily reseeds itself without becoming invasive, and proves to be one of the most accommodating Erysimum for cultivation in a rock garden.