Baby's Breath Annual Wildflower Seed

Annual Baby's Breath - Gyposophila Elegans

Height: Up to 2 ft.
Flower Color: Snow white single flowers
Plant Type: Annual. Lives just one year. Grows quickly, blooms heavily, dies with first frost. Can regrow following spring if seed falls on bare ground.
Flower Type: Clusters of tiny simple flowers
Bloom Time: Early season
Is baby's breath wildflower invasive? No
Is baby's breath wildflower endangered? No
Is baby's breath wildflower edible? No
Is baby's breath wildflower medicinal? No
Regions: All regions of North America.
Zones: 3 - 10
Soil preference: Adaptable
Sun/Shade: Needs full sun.
Moisture Requirements: Average moisture, well-drained.
Germination: 10 - 20 days
Optimum Soil Temp. for Germination: 70F
Sowing Depth: 1/16"

No plant is easier or quicker for masses of delightful blooms than this annual baby's breath wildflower. In just 6 to 8 weeks, you'll begin enjoying the tiny, pure-white blooms, which are set at the tips of rather stiff, very well-branched stems. Invaluable for bouquets and arrangements both fresh and dried, they are also a fine source of airy, misty color in the garden--particularly effective with large, brightly-colored blooms or with vertical ornamental grasses. If you want a steady supply of baby's breath wildflowers from spring to fall, just sow the baby's breath wildflower seeds direct every 2 weeks as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. Will grow in any region of the U.S.

Even if you don't know it by baby's breath wildflowers by name you, no doubt, have seen it unless you've been living all your life in a hole in the ground. Baby's breath is a favorite of the florist trade and used prodigiously in all floral arrangements, the bridal bouquet, the boutonniere and tucked in around bunches of flowers, both elegant and simple. It is basically used as filler because of its extremely billowy and delicate airiness which looks lovely with almost any flower fresh or died. Baby's breath is one of the most popular wildflowers and it is easy to grow from wildflower seed.

Being Baby's Breath has tiny, virtually insignificant flowers compared to other wildflowers, it lacks in importance. But that is not to say this is deserved. Without Baby's Breath other more showy flowers don't appear to their best advantage. Therefore, baby's breath wild flower seeds need to be looked at more carefully and appreciated in its own right.

Baby's breath wild flower seed when plant properly grows upright 1-2 feet tall and as wide and is quite drought tolerant. The flowers are single form, one half inch across, abundant and typically white but there are cultivars available in pink and rose. Its leaves are 3 inches long, lance shaped and fleshy. Unfortunately, it is a very short lived annual dying after only 5-6 weeks. Successive planting every 3-4 weeks should ensure never being without it during the growing season. The tiny baby's breath wildflower seeds germinate within 10-15 days and the wildflower plants grow quickly from there.

The name Gypsophila Elegans, as any well versed gardener can tell you, means, "Chalk lover with a willowy aspect". This describes Baby's breath perfectly both in where it likes to grow and how it looks in the wildflower seed garden. With this knowledge you may guess it prefers to grow in a soil rich in calcium or gypsum. It also prefers the soil light textured and neutral to slightly alkaline. Adding lime to very acidic soil will greatly improve its chances of it liking your garden. Adding dried and crushed eggshells around the base will not only provide it with the calcium it craves but will deter slugs and snails from feeding on it as they are not suicidal enough to attempt to cross over the sharp edges of the eggshells. This works for many other wildflower seeds as well.

Baby's breath wild flower seed needs to be planted on the dry side preferring well draining soil with ample organic matter. If water should pool around it for any given time it is apt to develop a black slim around the lower stems called Stem Rot. This makes the plant wilt but it is easily avoided by placing the plant in raised beds, in pots or you may simply plant it on a small mound of soil if your soil tends to be wet. Baby's Breath prefers to grow in full sun although it does quite well in as little as 4 hours of full sun.

Baby's breath in the wildflower seed garden mixes quite well with almost all annuals and perennials. It works well in cutting gardens, rockeries, container gardens, annual beds and perennial borders. There is no other wildflower seed plant with so much appeal as a companion plant. Everything looks better with baby's breath around it. Baby's breath need not be just a favorite of florists any longer. It has finally earned a spot in and amongst your favorite wildflowers.