Scientific Name:
Gypsophila paniculata
Pronunciation:
jip-SOFF-ih-luh puh-nick-you-LAY-tuh
Common Name:
baby's breath
Family Name:
Caryophyllaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering cut plant, Herbaceous perennial, Invasive plant
Key ID Features:
Sterms highly branched, 40-120cm tall; leaves similar to carnation - opposite, sessile on swollen nodes, lanceolate-linear to oblanceolate, most 2-9(-13)cm long x 0.2-1(-3)cm wide(enlarged on some cultivars), prominent midrib but other veins indistinct; panicle-like cyme white florets or rarely pink, 4-8mm wide, 5 to many petals (often used in floral arrangements - especially with roses).
Habit:
Spreading, Twiggy
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Alkaline, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate, Low
Landscape Uses:
Attract butterflies, Cut flower or foliage, Dried flower or fruit, Filler, Floristry, Perennial border
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Linear, Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink
Flower Scent:
Fragrant, Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Can flower any month
Additional Info:
Available year round from florists
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Storage tap root
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
Crown rot, Mold (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
