Iberis sempervirens is a plant of southern European coastlines and limestone hillsides, from the Iberian Peninsula across to Turkey, and its genus name acknowledges that Iberian birthplace directly. Sempervirens means always alive, which is apt: the plant maintains its narrow, dark green, leathery leaves through winter in all but the coldest climates, sitting quietly through the cold months before erupting in early spring with a bloom so prolific the foliage nearly disappears beneath it. Individual flowers are small, white, and four-petaled, massed in flat-topped clusters across a plant that spreads anywhere from six to eighteen inches wide at a height of six to twelve.

The cultural requirements are straightforward and forgiving. Full sun produces the most abundant flowering, though light shade is tolerated; what it cannot abide is wet feet, and poorly drained soils will cause crown rot. After flowering, cutting the plant back by a third encourages fresh, compact growth and prevents the woody base from becoming leggy. Stems that touch the ground will root and produce new plants of their own accord. In practice this makes it almost self-sustaining along a rock wall or raised bed edge, where it can sprawl and cascade with minimal intervention. Worth noting: despite its deer-resistant reputation, at least one seasoned grower describes it as "deer candy," so local wildlife should be the deciding factor.