candytuft

American  

[kan-dee-tuhft] / ˈkæn diˌtʌft /

noun

1. a plant of the genus Iberis, of the mustard family, especially I. umbellata, an ornamental plant with tufted pink, violet, purple, or red flowers, originally from the island of Crete.

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candytuft British  

/ ˈkændɪˌtʌft /

noun

1. either of two species of Iberis grown as annual garden plants for their umbels ("tufts") of white, red, or purplish flowers See iberis

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Etymology

Origin of candytuft

1570–80; Candy (variant of Candia ) + tuft

Example Sentences

But whether the species stays long term is yet to be seen, he says, as its food source is a garden species called Candytuft that is not as widely planted here.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

Evergreen Candytuft and Ivy leaves were found to be especially good at trapping pollutant particles, large and small.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

Candytuft and Marjoram also performed well in washing off smaller particles of pollution.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

Candytuft, dwarf phlox, stonecrop, morning glory, saxifrage, bleeding heart, rock cress, myrtle, thrift, columbine, bell flower, and moss pink.

From The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. by Shaw, Ellen Eddy

These were flower seeds,—bags labeled "Petunia," "Candytuft," "Double Balsam," "Portulaca."

From A Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life. by Whitney, A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train)