Creeping baby’s breath

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

Habit

Low, loose mat 10–15 cm tall and up to 50 cm wide, with trailing, branching stems.

Foliage

Narrow and linear, 1–3 cm long, blue-green to grey-green.

Flower

Small, star-shaped flowers of about 1 cm in loose clusters, from June to August.

Colour

White or pink, depending on the form.

Roots

A deep, fleshy root with a woody base; it dislikes being moved.

Flowering: June–August · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: August

Why grow it?

• A fine haze of tiny flowers from June to August, just when many early rock plants have finished.
• Spills attractively over walls, the edges of containers and between stones.
• Tolerates drought, poor soil and full sun: ideal for a gravel garden.
• Bees and other small insects visit the many little flowers.
• Covers the ground with a low mat without becoming invasive.

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

• Full sun: in shade it hardly flowers.
• Poor, sandy or gritty soil, neutral to chalky.
• Dry and perfectly drained: it will not tolerate wet feet in winter.
• Allow 40–50 cm between plants; on a wall or in a rock garden, plant it between the stones.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Thyme: An equally low, fragrant mat for the same dry, sunny spot.
• Pinks: Grey-blue leaves and fragrant pink flowers in the rock garden.
• Stonecrop: Low, fleshy plants for walls and gravel.
• Aubrieta: Flowers in April–May; then the baby’s breath takes over.

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

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October, when the soil is not wet.
2. Dig a hole a little larger than the pot and mix in coarse sand, grit or gravel.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, no deeper: the woody base must stay dry.
4. Space plants 40–50 cm apart; in a wall crevice or between stones, pack a little sand around the root ball.
5. Water moderately at planting time, then only during long dry spells.
6. Spread gravel or grit around the base instead of compost.

Care

Watering

Rarely needed once established; it copes with drought extremely well.

Feeding

Not needed: on rich soil it grows floppy and flowers less.

Mulching

Only with gravel or grit, to keep the base dry.

After flowering

A light trim in August keeps the mat compact.

Moving

Best avoided: the deep root re-establishes poorly.

Tip: Plant it on top of a wall or at the edge of a raised bed: it will spill attractively over the edge and its base will always stay dry.

Creeping baby’s breath: when to prune it?

Pruning months: August.

When: After flowering, in August, with a light trim.

How:

• Use shears to remove the faded flower clusters and the tips of the stems.
• Do not cut into the bare, woody part: it rarely resprouts from there.
• In spring, remove dead, brown patches from the mat.

Caution: Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin: the sap can be irritating.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In May–June: take 5 cm cuttings of young, non-flowering shoots and insert them in a mix of sand and compost. Keep them slightly moist; they root within a few weeks.

Seed

In spring, in small pots in a bright, cool place; the seed germinates fairly easily. Plant the young plants in their final position as early as possible.

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

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −35 °C: frost is not a problem.
• Wet soil in winter is the great enemy: improve drainage with grit or plant it higher, on a wall or in a raised bed.
• In a pot or trough: use a gritty mix and move it under cover in winter, out of the rain.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: The mat turns brown and dies after a wet winter. Plant in gritty soil or on a slope.
• Few flowers: Too much shade or soil that is too rich. Move it while young to a sunny, lean spot.
• Bare centre: Old plants become woody and bare in the middle. Take cuttings and replace the plant after a few years.
• Slugs: They eat young plants in spring. Pick them off in the evening.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Remove dead patches from the mat.
• April: Plant. Spread gravel around the base.
• May: Take cuttings.
• June: Flowering begins. Take cuttings.
• July: In full flower.
• August: Last flowers. Trim lightly after flowering.
• September: Plant.
• October: Plant. Move pots or troughs under cover.
• December: Rest. Make sure the base is not standing in water.

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.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Gypsophila means ‘lover of gypsum’: many species grow on soils rich in gypsum or lime.
• The tall baby’s breath sold by florists as a filler for bouquets is a close relative.
• Baby’s breath belongs to the pink family, like soapwort, whose sap was once used as soap.