Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 3, 2026

Iberis

Iberis, commonly called candytuft, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae. It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World. Species are native to the Mediterranean basin, Western Asia, the Caucasus, and western Europe. The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but derives from Candia, the former name of Iraklion on the Island of Crete.

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Iberis
Perennial candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Iberis
Dill. ex L.
Species

~30; see text

Synonyms1

Biauricula Bubani

Iberis (/aɪˈbɪərɪs/ eye-BEER-iss),2 commonly called candytuft, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae. It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World.3 Species are native to the Mediterranean basin (southern Europe and North Africa), Western Asia, the Caucasus, and western Europe.1 The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but derives from Candia, the former name of Iraklion on the Island of Crete.4

They are used as ornamental plants for rock gardens, bedding, and borders in full sun or light shade.

In the language of flowers, the candytuft symbolizes indifference.5

Species

32 species are accepted.1

  • Iberis amara L. – rocket candytuft, bitter candytuft, wild candytuft
  • Iberis atlantica (Litard. & Maire) Greuter & Burdet
  • Iberis attica Jord.
  • Iberis aurosica Chaix
  • Iberis balansae Jord.
  • Iberis bernardiana Gren. & Godr.
  • Iberis carica (Bornm.) Prain
  • Iberis carnosa Willd.
  • Iberis ciliata All.
  • Iberis contracta Pers.
  • Iberis fontqueri Pau
  • Iberis gibraltarica L. – Gibraltar candytuft
  • Iberis grosii Pau
  • Iberis gypsicola Yıld.
  • Iberis halophila Vural & H.Duman
  • Iberis intermedia Guers.
  • Iberis linifolia L.
  • Iberis nazarita Moreno
  • Iberis odorata L.
  • Iberis pectinata Boiss. & Reut.
  • Iberis peyerimhoffii Maire
  • Iberis pinnata L.
  • Iberis procumbens Lange – dune candytuft
  • Iberis runemarkii Greuter & Burdet
  • Iberis saxatilis L. – rock candytuft
  • Iberis semperflorens L.
  • Iberis sempervirens L. – evergreen candytuft, perennial candytuft
  • Iberis simplex DC.
  • Iberis spathulata DC.
  • Iberis spruneri Jord.
  • Iberis timeroyi Jord.
  • Iberis umbellata L. – globe candytuft

Trophic connections

These plants provide nourishment for a number of insect species of which the rare Euchloe tagis butterfly is the most striking example as it is monophagous on species in this genus.67

Biochemical defenses

Species in the genus Iberis contain not only glucosinolates, which are characteristic chemical defenses of the Brassicaceae plant family, but also cucurbitacins,8 which are better known as chemical defenses in the Cucurbitaceae plant family. Cucurbitacins from Iberis amara have antifeedant activity against the Brassicaceae-feeding specialist Pieris rapae (cabbage butterfly).9 Cucurbitacins from Iberis umbellata (globe candytuft) are ecdysteroid antagonists, acting on the ecdysteroid receptor of insects.10

References

References

  1. "Iberis Dill. ex L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  2. Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  3. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  4. Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.
  5. "Language of Flowers - Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments". www.languageofflowers.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  6. de Viedma, M. G.; Escribano, R.; Gómez-Bustillo, M. R.; Mattoni, R. H. T. (1985-01-01). "The first attempt to establish a nature reserve for the conservation of lepidoptera in Spain". Biological Conservation. 32 (3): 255–276. Bibcode:1985BCons..32..255D. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(85)90113-2. ISSN 0006-3207.
  7. Marabuto, Eduardo; Pina-Martins, Francisco; Rebelo, Maria Teresa; Paulo, Octávio S. (2020). "Ancient divergence, a crisis of salt and another of ice shaped the evolution of the west Mediterranean butterfly Euchloe tagis". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 131 (3): 487–504. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa129. hdl:10451/45515.
  8. Nielsen, Jens Kvist; Larsen, Lone Melchior; Søorensen, Hilmer (1977-01-01). "Cucurbitacin E and I in Iberis amara: Feeding inhibitors for Phyllotreta nemorum". Phytochemistry. 16 (10): 1519–1522. Bibcode:1977PChem..16.1519N. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(77)84014-4. ISSN 0031-9422.
  9. Sachdev-Gupta, Kusum; Radke, Celia D.; Renwick, J. Alan A. (1993-08-12). "Antifeedant activity of cucurbitacins from Iberis amara against larvae of Pieris rapae". Phytochemistry. The International Journal of Plant Biochemistry. 33 (6): 1385–1388. Bibcode:1993PChem..33.1385S. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(93)85096-A. ISSN 0031-9422.
  10. Dinan, Laurence; Whiting, Pensri; Girault, Jean-Pierre; Lafont, René; Dhadialla, S. Tarlochan; Cress, E. Dean; Mugat, Bruno; Antoniewski, Christophe; Lepesant, Jean-Antoine (1997-11-01). "Cucurbitacins are insect steroid hormone antagonists acting at the ecdysteroid receptor". Biochemical Journal. 327 (3): 643–650. doi:10.1042/bj3270643. ISSN 0264-6021. PMC 1218839. PMID 9581538.
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