Gypsophila elegans Rosea seeds - Annual baby's breath

Pastel and ethereal, Gypsophila elegans 'Rosea' is an extremely ornamental annual that charms with its light, soft pink summer flowering. Irreplaceable for adding airiness to summer beds, this variety is also prized for fresh or dried bouquets. It fits equally well in cottage gardens and more contemporary settings, where it brings lightness to all compositions.

Gypsophila elegans 'Rosea', also known as pink baby's breath, belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It represents the pink-flowered form of the species G. elegans, native to the steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, particularly in the Caucasus, southern Russia, and Kazakhstan. This species naturally colonises dry, stony, and sunny terrain, often on calcareous substrates.

A short-lived annual plant, 'Rosea' germinates, flowers, and completes its cycle in a single season, with no regrowth the following year. It forms a soft, branched clump with a light habit, reaching 45 to 55 cm in height and about 30 cm in spread. Its growth is rapid, promising flowering just two months after sowing. It does not sucker or produce offshoots but may sometimes self-seed spontaneously if conditions are favourable. The foliage is linear to narrowly lanceolate, a light green with a slight bluish tint, borne on fine, highly branched stems. The small leaves (about 2 to 4 cm long), are annual: the plant dries out completely at the end of its cycle. Flowering spans from June to August, sometimes into September if sowing is staggered. The 5 to 7 mm diameter flowers are light pink with five rounded, slightly notched petals, borne in great numbers on very airy panicles. This ethereal inflorescence gives the plant a floral cloud-like appearance. The fruits, formed in late summer, are small ovoid capsules containing several black, smooth, and fine, non-edible seeds. They reach ripeness at the end of the season and can be harvested for sowing the following year.

Luminous and full of light, Gypsophila elegans 'Rosea' offers a very poetic note to summer beds and naturalistic compositions. It softens outlines, fills gaps between perennials, and creates a lovely contrast with more structured plants. Its pale pink harmonises beautifully with the deep blue of Love-in-a-Mist ‘Oxford Blue’, the pink clouds of Sea Lavender ‘Forever Rose’, or the white flowers of Cosmos ‘Sensation Purity’. In fresh or dried bouquets, it acts like a floral mist. Placed in borders, rockeries, or at the heart of a bed, it brings a fresh and natural feel. It is also possible to grow it in a pot.

Despite its delicate appearance, this Baby's Breath is easy to grow. Plant it in full sun, in not-too-rich, well-drained soil. It is undemanding and even likes limestone (in Latin, Gypsophila means "chalk-loving"). Once established, it requires little care and minimal watering.