Flower Encyclopedia: Babys Breath Baby's Breath is a tender and a delicate plant. Baby's Breath are very easy to grow, and quick to bloom. It is a hardy annual able to withstand periods of short term drought. Native to Europe, it has naturalized throughout the eastern United States.
Flowers are white, forming dense delicate clusters, petering out when temperatures regularly hit 80 degrees. These cloud-like white flowers grow about 18 inches tall and are unbeatable for cutting and adding to arrangements - but they're also very pretty for growing in among other flowers. Leaves are linear lance shaped and 2-3 inches long.
The blooming period is April-August. It is a much branched perennial herb with a thick, deep, woody rooting system.
The plant likes full to partial sun. They prefer rich, light soils, and are not fond of clay. They also do not like dry conditions. Their rapid growth demands that they are watered during dry periods. Add a general purpose fertilizer before planting if the soil is poor.
Once your Baby's Breath germinates in 10 to 15 days, they will grow rapidly. For a continuous bloom, plant them in succession every two to three weeks. Sow in early spring, seedlings are not winter hardy. Once established, allow to dry out between watering.
Baby's Breath provides many strategic applications within the garden. This is a wonderful flowering perennial for the summer garden and for use in the flower vase. It is a popular flower to accent bouquets, corsages and flower vases. Baby's Breath is a popular flower in the home garden too.
The plant is subject to Crown gall, bacterial soft rot, crown and stem rot pests and diseases. The plants nutritional requirements include balanced liquid fertilizer weekly for best growth and flower production.
Did you know?
· The plant can produce over 13,000 seeds per plant.
· Baby's Breath is a well-known flower used as a filler in florists' bouquets.
