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

A colonel stood in a Tunisian valley sniffing at a handful of candytuft and Arabis and crimson poppies and yellow marguerites.

From Time Magazine Archive

"There's a dwarf pink candytuft that couldn't be beaten for the purpose," said James decisively.

From Ethel Morton's Enterprise by Smith, Mabell S. C. (Mabell Shippie Clarke)

In the beds were asters, celosia, balsam, nasturtiums, marigold, zinnia, carnation, schizanthus, sweet peas, dahlias, gladiolus, candytuft, lilies, scabiosa, stocks, salvia, snapdragon, phlox, mignonette, four o'clocks and petunias.

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

In places, wild candytuft in blossom spreads a quilt of palest lavender in every direction on a wide circling horizon.

From The Black Opal by Prichard, Katharine Susannah

On the stalks of larkspur and phlox she laid a mass of pink snapdragons and white candytuft, tucking in here and there sprays of just-opening baby’s-breath to give a misty look to the basket.

From The Camerons of Highboro by Gilchrist, Beth Bradford