Gypsophila paniculata (Baby's Breath): Minnesota Wildflowers (2024)

FAQs

Do Gypsophila come back every year? ›

Gypsophila, a breath of flowers

Gypsophila is a very cute perennial or annual that blooms in summer.

Baby's breath has become a problem across the northern and western U.S. and is listed as a noxious weed by California and Washington. It is known to occur in Minnesota, but the exact distribution is unknown.

Gypsophila (baby's breath) are annual, hardy perennial or alpine plants that are grown for their sprays of tiny, button-like flowers in summer, in shades of white or pale pink.

It is an herbaceous perennial growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and wide, with mounds of branching stems covered in clouds of tiny white flowers in summer (hence the common name "baby's breath"). Its natural habitat is on the Steppes in dry, sandy and stony places, often on calcareous soils (gypsophila = "chalk-loving").

Baby's breath is a perennial; new plants come up every year from the same root system. It spreads via seeds, not a spreading root system, but one plant can produce well over 10,000 seeds. Plants become brittle, break and roll like tumbleweeds, spreading seeds.

Superb as a ground cover for rockeries, paved areas or for use in alpine containers. Temperature Tolerance: A hardy plant which should survive normal winter conditions outside, especially if protected from the hardest frosts.

Growing Baby's Breath is very easy, and they are quick to bloom. It is a popular flower to accent bouquets, corsages and flower vases. It also makes a great filler for at-home gardens. These plants bear an abundance of white or pink flowers.

How Long Does Baby's Breath Last? Baby's breath is a hardy shrub. It's a common joke among growers that the baby's breath plant is something even the worst flower growers can't kill. Fresh ones will last anywhere from 8-10 days, or more when properly cared for.

Baby's breath is relatively low maintenance, growing quickly and flowering in just 10 weeks.

Another good reason to cut back baby's breath is to encourage another round of flowers. Heavier cut backs after the growing season will keep plants trimmed and neat and will encourage new growth later in perennial varieties.

Is Baby's Breath cut and come again? ›

Pruning Baby's Breath

After the second bloom, during the fall season, cut the stems of the perennial baby's breath to about one inch above the ground, for overwintering. The plant will come back in the spring.

The Good: Baby's breath is an inexpensive and affordable option for bridesmaids' bouquets or centerpieces. It's extremely hardy and has a long lifetime. This flower also offers a light, alluring and sweet look.

Remove any foliage that still remains the following spring. This is usually very minimal. WHAT ARE SOME NICE COMPANION PLANTS? Peonies, monarda, digitalis, delphinium, scabiosa, campanula, dianthus, and hardy geranium make nice companions.

Baby's breath prefers full sun, so pick a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. 2. Prepare the soil. In terms of soil, baby's breath will do best in well-draining soil a little on the sandy side, with plenty of organic matter and a pH between 7.0 to 7.5.

Suitable for well-drained soil in a sunny position. Gypsophila Fairy Perfect is a perfectly delicate arrangement of tiny flowers that form in a cloud of pretty blooms. Although ideal for cut flowers and bouquets, Gypsophila is also a fantastic flower for your garden pots or borders and even great as dried flower.

What is Gypsophila? Gypsophila (Gypsophila paniculata) also known as Baby's Breath is a hardy perennial herb. It is part of the Caryophyllaceae or carnation family and is native to Europe. It produces masses of small white or pink blooms on tall stems throughout Summer and Autumn.

The plant is attractive to many varieties of butterfly and also is known to attract bees. The variety, Coven Garden, was introduced in 1936 by the Grand Junction Seed Company of Colorado. Baby's Breath is heat, drought and soil tolerant, but flourishes most in friable soils that are rich in calcium.

There is also a group of plants which we can call “slug and snail safe” - these plants neither deter our enemies but they do not attract them either: Dianthus. Paeonia. Gypsophila.

This perennial plant is easy to grow and low maintenance. Read on for more tips on how to plant Gypsophila, or baby's breath.

Winterizing Baby's Breath

Make sure your plants are in a spot with good drainage. Cut back the plants after they have finished blooming in the fall and cover them with mulch if you have very cold winters. The mulch can also help keep plants dry, so use this strategy if you have wet winters too.

How long does Gypsophila take to grow? ›

Mist or lightly water in, not moving the seeds. Keep the soil around them moist, but not too wet. In about 10 to 15 days, your potted baby's breath will sprout.

Gypsophila is an extremely popular filler for bridal bouquets. If you notice that the Gyp smells a bit, just add a teaspoon of salt and the smell will vanish.

This plant has medium severity poison characteristics. This perennial form of baby's breath is cultivated as a garden ornamental or used by florists for fillers in bouquets, particularly with roses.

Keep in mind that the entire baby's breath flowers are toxic to pets as well as to people. It is best when used as decorations instead of for consumption. Vomiting and diarrhea can occur when you eat baby's breath flowers.

While some like the scent, others complain that it is called baby's breath because it smells like spit. This is really a personal matter. Some like it, some don't, which is undoubtedly the case with most flowers. Just be sure that you take a whiff before you have multiple centerpieces and bouquets put together.

Sow seeds evenly and thinly in rows 9 inches apart and cover very lightly with ¼ inch of fine soil. Firm the soil lightly and keep it evenly moist. Seedlings will emerge in 10-14 days. Thin seedlings to 9 inches apart when they are 1 inch tall.

You have to allow these blooms to absorb water for at least two to three hours. These stems of baby's breath saturated with water can easily survive for 2 to 3 days out of water.

Description of baby's breath: Small, blue-green leaves, almost fleshy, on stems with slightly swollen joints bear a profusion of many-branched panicles containing numerous 1/8-inch wide flowers. Plants bloom in June and July.

They grow rapidly and will come into bloom about 8 weeks after germination. Sow new baby's breath every 2 to 4 weeks to assure continuous bloom for the summer. Propagating baby's breath: By seed.

When Baby's breath invades grazing land, it reduces native grasses and forage for grazing animals and wildlife. When it develops seeds and matures, the plant breaks off at the ground and rolls long distances across the landscape with the ability to spread the over 10,000 seeds per plant!

Is Gypsophila poisonous to dogs? ›

Gypsophila (also known as Baby's Breath) - mildly toxic, but can irritate a pet's stomach if ingested.

Gypsophila or Baby's Breath.

(Then they come back and ask me for other ideas!!!) Despite the fairy tale romance and 'frothiness' gyp offers, it's toxic if eaten. It can also irritate your nose and cause asthma.

A baby's breath doesn't usually smell. That's because they have no teeth. Your teeth and tongue collect a myriad of things that can cause your breath to smell including food debris, sugars, and bacteria.

BABY'S BREATH

Only mildly toxic, ingestion can still lead to vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and lethargy in your cat.

The Kadupul Flower is at the top of our list, even though it has never been sold for more than the other flowers in the list. The simple reason why the Kadupul Flower is the champion of the most expensive flowers in the world list is: it is completely priceless.

Sow seeds, lightly cover with mix, firm down and gently water in well. Keep moist at all times and place in a warm and sheltered position until seedlings have grown to 5 cm tall, then plant into the garden. Alternatively, sow direct where they are to grow in rows or in scattered clumps around the garden.

G. paniculata, aka common or panicled baby's breath, is a tall perennial that grows a 13-feet-long storage taproot. Small white or pink flowers bloom from the summer to fall, and this species is the favorite among florists.

Since baby's breath is a hardy annual, plant during the cool season alongside other early, direct-sown favorites like bells of Ireland, nigella and Iceland poppy.

Baby's breath is one of several types of Gypsophila, a genus of plants in the carnation family. Within the genus are several baby's breath cultivars, all with long, straight stems and masses of dainty, long-lasting blooms. Baby's breath varieties are easy to plant by seed directly in the garden.

Does baby's breath need to be in water? ›

Baby's breath has low water needs and thrives in dry soil. Keep the soil moderately moist for young plants.

Care Tips For Gypsophila

Put gypsophila in lukewarm water when you buy it and in a clean vase. They loved a little bit of cut flower food but never leave them in the sun, a drafty place, or next to a fruit basket.

The best time for trimming baby's breath is after they bloom. Most of these plants bloom in the spring and summer. They will benefit from deadheading as the flowers fade, as well as a complete cut back to allow them to bloom again.

Baby's breath cold tolerance is pretty good, both in perennial and annual form. The annual varieties grow in zones 2 through 10, while the perennials will survive in zones 3 through 9. The annuals, of course, will not need to be overwintered.

These stems of baby's breath saturated with water can easily survive for 2 to 3 days out of water.

Perennial forms are deep-rooted, long-lived plants, that need plenty of sun and space to spread. Gypsophila can be grown in an east, west or south facing aspect, in free-draining soil.