Common name: Baby's Breath
Family: Caryophyllaceae, Pinks
Height x width:18-36" x 12-24"
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: linear lanceolate, 1-2" long
Flowers: many-flowered loose and open panicle inflorescence, white or pink
Hardiness: zones 3-9
Soil: well-drained, prefers alkaline 7.0-7.5
Light: sun
Pests and problems: botrytis blight, aster yellows virus, crown gall, damping-off, bacterial fasciation, leafhoppers
Landscape habit, uses: very fine texture mass, filler, cutting, rock gardens
Other interest: name from Greek gypsos or gypsum and philos or friendship refering to its affinity for gypsum rock derived soils; native to Europe and northern Asia
Other culture: tall cultivars may need staking
Propagation: seed, difficult to divide fleshy roots in spring or fall, terminal cuttings after flowering, tissue culture, formerly some cultivars were grafted
Species:
aretoides (air-e-toy' dees)--zones 5-9, native to Caucasus and northern Iran mountains, white, gray-green leaves, dense cushion-forming
cerastoides (sair-ass-toy' dees)--zones 5-9, native to Himalayas, white or lilac flowers with pink veins in summer, mat-forming similar to Cerastium with blue-green hairy leaves
paniculata (pa-ni-cue-lah' tah)--18-36" tall depending on cultivar, main species
repens (ree' pens)--Creeping Baby's Breath, 4-6" tall, good over
walls or in rock gardens
Cultivars:
| Cultivars, other taxa | species | flowers | height | other | |
| var. alba | repens | clear white | 4-6" | ||
| 'Bristol Fairy' | paniculata | white, double | 24" | repeat bloom | |
| 'Caucasica' | aretoides | white | 18" | dense, blue-green foliage | |
| 'Compacta Plena' | paniculata | white, semi-double | 18" | ||
| 'Dorothy Teacher' | repens | soft pink | 4-6" | blue-green leaves | |
| 'Double Snowflake':'Schneeflocke' | |||||
| 'Dubia' | repens | white flushed pink | 4-6" | bluish leaves, red stems | |
| 'Festival' | paniculata | pink, white mix | 15" | from seed, single, double | |
| 'Flamingo' | paniculata | pink, double | 24" | ||
| 'Fratensis' | repens | rich pink | 4-6" | ||
| 'Perfecta' | paniculata | white, double, large | 30" | ||
| 'Pink Fairy' | paniculata | pink, double | 18" | blooms until frost | |
| 'Pink Star' | paniculata | pink | 18" | ||
| 'Red Sea' | paniculata | rose, double | 3-4' | ||
| 'Rosea' | repens | pink | 4-6" | ||
| 'Rosenschlier' | hybrid | pink, semi-double | 15" | paniculata x repens | |
| 'Rosy Veil':'Rosenschlier' | |||||
| 'Snowflake':'Schneeflocke' | |||||
| 'Schneeflocke' | paniculata | white, double | 36" | ||
| 'Viette's Dwarf' | paniculata | pinkish, double | 18" | ||
Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
Return to Perry's
Perennial Pages | HGPO
course | PSS123 course