Stonecresses originate from sunny limestone mountainsides in Europe and West Asia, especially Turkey.

[2] The Latin name Aethionema derives from ancient Greek αἴθειν "to light up, kindle" + νῆμα "thread, yarn".

[citation needed] The English name "stonecress" derives from its creeping habit and its favoured stony or rocky sites.

[4] The hybrid cultivar 'Warley Rose' is a subshrub with bright pink flowers.

It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.