Almost everyone has given or received a bouquet of flowers from the florist that contained a few sprays of baby's breath. The genus is Latin for the phrase "friendship with gypsum," because one species, Gypsophila repens, has been found growing on gypsum rocks.
 Baby's breath is a perennial flower that has white to green or pink to fuchsia blossoms. See more pictures of perennials. |
Description of baby's breath: Small, blue-green leaves, almost fleshy, on stems with slightly swollen joints bear a profusion of many-branched panicles containing numerous 1/8-inch wide flowers. Plants bloom in June and July.
Growing baby's breath: Baby's breath require full sun and a good, deep, well-drained garden soil with humus. Even though the plants have tap roots, they still require liberal amounts of water. If the soil is at all acid, a cup of ground limestone per square yard should be added into the soil surrounding these lime-loving plants. Tall plants will probably require staking. They will rebloom if spent flowers are removed. Note: This species is invasive in the Midwest and Great Plains on alkaline soils. Ease of care: Easy.
Propagating baby's breath: Start new plants from seed. Propagation by cuttings requires patience, skill, and luck.
Uses for baby's breath: Baby's breath are wonderful for filling in gaps in a bed or border. They are especially lovely when tumbling over rock walls or falling out of a raised bed.
Baby's breath related species: Gypsophila repens is a creeping baby's breath that grows 6 inches high, but covers an area to a width of 3 feet. Alba is white; Rosea is pink.
Baby's breath related varieties: Two popular varieties are Bristol Fairy, with pure white, double flowers, that grows to a height of 4 feet, and Pink Fairy, reaching 18 inches in height with pink doubles.
Scientific name of baby's breath: Gypsophila paniculata
Want more information? Try these links:
- Perennial Flowers. Complement your annuals with these delightful perennial flowers. They are also organized by height, soil type, sunlight, and color.
- Perennials. There's more to an perennials garden than flowers. Learn about all of the perennials that enhance your garden.
- Annual Flowers. Discover your favorite annual flowers. We've organized them by color, sunlight, soil type, and height to make it easy to plan your garden.
