Annual baby’s breath

Annual baby’s breath: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Annual, 40–50 cm tall and about 30 cm wide, finely branched with thin stems.

Leaves

Narrow, lance-shaped, blue-green to grey-green and opposite.

Flower

Tiny five-petalled flowers about 1 cm across, white or pale pink, in loose, widely branched panicles, from June to August.

Roots

A taproot: the plant dislikes transplanting and is therefore sown in place.

Family

Belongs to the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), like the carnation and soapwort.

Flowering: June–August · Sowing: April–June

Why grow it?

• An airy cloud of tiny flowers that softens heavier flowers in the border.
• Easy to sow and flowers just a few weeks after sowing.
• A classic filler flower in bouquets, fresh or dried.
• Tolerates drought and poor, chalky soil.
• With repeat sowings you keep flowers coming all summer.

Annual baby’s breath: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade it becomes lanky and floppy.
• Free-draining, dry to normal soil: sandy, loamy or clay, neutral to chalky. It loves lime.
• Dry to normal moisture; in wet soil it suffers root rot.
• Allow 20–30 cm and put it beside heavier flowers, or sow it in a group.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -5 °C)

Goes well with

• Roses: A classic combination: the white cloud softens the flowers.
• Zinnia: Bright colours next to the airy white cloud.
• Cornflower: Blue and white together in an annual border.
• Dahlia: Heavy flowers; the white cloud fills the space between the plants.
• Cosmos: Also airy, flowering in the same summer.

Annual baby’s breath: when and how to plant it?

1. Sow in place from April to June, when the soil has warmed and there is no more hard frost.
2. Rake the soil to a fine, level tilth and draw shallow drills, or broadcast the seed.
3. Cover the seed only lightly, with about 0.5 cm of soil, and firm.
4. Keep the soil moist until the seed has germinated, usually after one to two weeks.
5. Thin to 15–25 cm between plants.
6. Sow again every three weeks, until June, for flowers that last all summer.

Care

Water

Little: it tolerates drought. Only water at the base in long dry spells.

Feeding

Not needed; on rich soil it grows too lush and flops.

Support

The thin, branching stems flop easily. Put twigs or netting between the plants while they grow.

Spent flowers

Cut off faded panicles or cut them for the vase; this prolongs flowering.

Dried flowers

Hang cut stems upside down in a dry, shady place to dry them.

Tip: Sow a row every three weeks from April to June, because each sowing only flowers for a few weeks. It likes chalky, dry soil and is an airy filler flower.

Annual baby’s breath: when to prune it?

When: It is not pruned; during the season you only cut flowers.

How:

• Cut off faded panicles above a side shoot: this gives new flowers.
• For bouquets, cut stems when about half the flowers are open.
• At the end of the season, pull up the plants and compost them.

Caution: Wear gloves if you handle it a lot: the plant contains saponins.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow in place in April–June, shallowly, at about 15–20 °C. Seedlings appear in one to two weeks; sow again every three weeks.

Self-sowing

Let a few plants set seed: next year new ones will often appear by themselves.

Annual baby’s breath: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Annual: the plant dies at the end of the season. Young plants tolerate light frost down to about −5 °C.
• Remove the plants after flowering or leave them to self-seed.
• In a pot: store seed dry and cool until spring.

Diseases and pests

• Short flowering season: Each sowing only flowers for a few weeks. Sow again every three weeks, until June.
• Root rot: Caused by wet soil. Choose a free-draining spot and do not overwater.
• Flopping: Thin stems fall over in rain or on rich soil. Give twigs for support and do not feed.
• Aphids: On young tips. Rinse them off with water; ladybirds and hoverflies help.
• Slugs: They eat young seedlings. Collect them in the evening and protect the seedbed.

Through the year

• April: Sow in place. Prepare the soil.
• May: Sow. Thin out. Keep slugs off.
• June: Last sowing. Flowering starts. Put in twigs for support.
• July: Full flower. Cut flowers. Remove faded panicles.
• August: Last flowers. Harvest dried flowers.
• September: Clear the plants or leave them to self-sow.
• October: Collect seed and store dry.
• December: Rest. Plan the sowings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Baby’s breath contains saponins, especially in the root and seeds: eating it causes vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in small children as well as in cats and dogs. The greatest risk is indoors: baby’s breath is in many bouquets, and cats like to chew the fine, dry stems. Keep a vase or dried arrangement with baby’s breath out of reach of cats and small children, and clear up fallen flowers. The root was once used as soap; do not make anything from it to swallow. The sap can irritate the skin of sensitive people: wear gloves if you cut a lot. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The name Gypsophila comes from Greek and means gypsum-loving, after its liking for chalky soil; elegans means elegant.
• Some baby’s breath species contain saponins, substances that foam, and were once used as a soap substitute.
• Annual baby’s breath flowers just a few weeks after sowing, much faster than its perennial cousin.