Information on Baby's Breath Flowers
Long a staple for bridal bouquets, baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata L.) is a long-blooming bedding plant that provides masses of delicate flowers for outdoor enjoyment in mid-summer or to fill in spaces in cut flower arrangements. The most common gypsophila has brilliant, pure white flowers, like the blossoms that cover Compacta Plena from April to August. Other varieties, like Viette's Dwarf, produce pink flowers from May to August that may hold their color or fade to white with age. Does this Spark an idea?
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Varieties
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Baby's breath plants may be annuals or perennials depending upon variety. Elegans has longer leaves than paniculata varieties. Flowers are small, often less than an inch across, with a five-lobed, purple calyx. The plants thrive in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. An herbaceous perennial, Bristol Fairy reaches a height and spread of 2 to 3 feet and produces small, pure white flowers from April to August. Perfekta produces bright white, double flowers in June and grows to about 3 feet tall. Gypsy Deep Rose, an annual, grows only 10 inches tall and has dark pink, rose-like flowers.
Uses
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Baby's breath looks as beautiful used as a filler in a vase filled with cut flowers as it does when used as filler in a garden full of larger flowers. The slender branches nod with the gentlest breeze, attracting attention to the dainty flowers as well as to its flower companions. Mass several plants together for a large display of eye-catching color, or scatter baby's breath among early bloomers to extend the garden's floral display into late summer. Dwarf baby's breath makes an airy border for flower beds.
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Culture
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Baby's breath may be grown from seedlings or from seeds sown after the last frost in spring. Prepare the planting bed in early spring, amending the soil if soil tests reveal the need to do so. Gypsophila plants like alkaline, or "sweet" soil. Because baby's breath is prone to stem rot, mound the dirt a little to allow water to run off. The plants prefer full sun, but will make do with some shade. Set baby's breath plants in each mound only as deep as they were in the original nursery container. If your area has cold winters, mulch the plant to protect it.
Considerations
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Baby's breath is highly toxic to dogs and cats. Baby's breath can escape the garden and become invasive in some areas. The plants do not transplant well, so choose your planting area carefully.
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References
- National Gardening Association: Baby's Breath
- Texas A&M University Extension: Baby's Breath
- North Carolina State University; Gypsophila Paniculata; Alice B. Russell, et al.
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gypsophila Paniculata Bristol Fairy
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gypsophila Paniculata Viette's Dwarf
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gypsophila Paniculata Perfekta
Resources
- USDA Plants Database: Gypsophila Paniculata L. Baby's Breath
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Gypsophila Paniculata Compacta Plena
- The U.S. National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zones
- N.C. State University; Poisonous Plants; Alice B. Russell, et al.; 1997
- NC State University; Gypsophila Elegans; Erv Evans
- University of Alaska; Non-Native Plant Species of Alaska; 2004
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
