♦ Zones:  4 - 8     Height:  6 - 12"     Exposure:  Full Sun ♦

‘Splendens’ is a sea thrift or sea pink cultivar that is noted for its grass-like foliage and globular, reddish-pink flowers. This is a compact, low-growing plant which forms a dense, mounded tuft of stiff, linear, extremely narrow, grass-like, rich green leaves.  Tufts will slowly spread outward. Tiny reddish-pink flowers bloom in mid-spring in globular clusters atop slender, naked stalks rising above the foliage.  Sporadic additional flowering may occur throughout the summer. In the wild, species plants commonly grows in saline environments along coastal areas where few other plants can grow well, hence the common name and specific epithet.  Best grown in infertile, dry, gritty, well-drained soils in full sun. Foliage mounds tend to rot in the center if grown in moist, fertile soils or in heavy clay. Good drainage is essential. Deadhead spend flower stems to encourage additional bloom.  A compact plant for edging, border fronts, rock gardens or wall pockets. May be massed as a ground cover for small areas. Impractical large scale ground cover due to slow spread. Also effective in containers.