Baby's breath is the cloud of tiny white flowers that ties a bouquet together. In the border the perennial species (Gypsophila paniculata) reaches about a metre and flowers in July and August. Two things set it apart from most perennials: it wants lime in the soil, and it has a taproot that means it does not take being moved. Choose the spot correctly from the start and it stands for ten years.
Two plants are sold as baby's breath
It is worth knowing which one you are buying, because they are handled quite differently.
| Perennial baby's breath | Annual baby's breath | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Gypsophila paniculata | Gypsophila elegans |
| Height | 80 to 120 cm | 40 to 50 cm |
| Flowering | July to August, year after year | 6 to 8 weeks after sowing |
| First flowering | Usually year two | The same year |
| Flowers | Often double, a denser haze | Single and more open |
Our variety Snowflake is the perennial one. If you want flowers in the first summer, sow an annual alongside while the perennial establishes.
The soil should be limy and dry
This is where most people go wrong. The genus name Gypsophila means gypsum loving, and the plant comes from dry limestone steppe. It wants the exact opposite of the humus-rich, acidic soil that suits most perennials.
pH 7 to 7.5. If your soil is acidic, work in lime before planting.
Drainage before feeding. Mix grit or sand into heavy clay.
Full sun. In part shade the stems grow long and weak.
Dry in winter. Wet soil in November kills more plants than the cold does.
Feed sparingly. A lot of nitrogen gives foliage and few flowers. We go through the differences between feeds in our guide to plant nutrition.
Sowing baby's breath
Sow indoors in March or April. Cover the seed with 0.5 cm of compost.
Hold 18 to 20 degrees. Germination takes 10 to 14 days.
Prick out early. The taproot heads straight down and will not take being bent in a pot that is too small. Use deep pots, not wide ones.
Plant out in May or June with 40 to 50 cm between plants. A mature plant is about as wide as it is tall.
Sowing direct in place in May also works and gives the straightest root. The drawback is that you cannot move the plants afterwards.
Support it before it needs it
A metre-tall plant carrying thousands of small flowers goes flat in the first summer downpour. Put a support ring or a few twiggy branches around the plant in May, while it is still 20 cm tall. Lifting a flattened plant in July does not work.
The second year is the real one
A perennial baby's breath spends its first year on roots. Expect a few thin sprays in year one and full flowering in year two. The plant improves every season and reaches full size after three to four years.
Cut the whole plant back to 15 cm when the first flush fades in August and a second, smaller flush often follows in September.
Cutting for the vase
Cut when about half the flowers on the spray are open. Cut too early and the rest open poorly in the vase.
Time of day: early morning, while the stems are firm.
Cut: at an angle with clean snips, straight into cold water.
Vase life: 7 to 10 days.
The water: baby's breath turns vase water smelly fast. Change it every other day.
Drying baby's breath
This is its strongest suit and the reason it turns up in almost every dried bouquet.
Cut when the flowers have just opened, not later.
Bundle five to ten stems loosely with a rubber band.
Hang them upside down somewhere dark, dry and airy. A wardrobe or a pantry works.
Wait two to three weeks.
Dried baby's breath keeps its shape for years as long as it is out of direct sunlight. More species for the bouquet are among our seeds for cut flowers, and the whole layout of a cutting bed is covered in our article on cut flowers.
Common mistakes
Planted in rich, acidic soil. The plant is short-lived. Add lime instead.
Moved after the second year. The taproot breaks and the plant rarely recovers.
Fed like a rose bed. Gives leaves instead of flowers.
Support put in during July. Too late. Do it in May.
Cut too late. The flowers shed when the bouquet is moved.
For more perennials that take a dry, sunny spot, see our article on perennials.
Author: Emma Vogiatzi
Fact checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2026-08-31