baby's-breath (Gypsophila paniculata) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Baby's-breath is a grown for the tiny white flowers used in bouquets. Plants that escape gardens can spread across open ground in parts of the Great Lakes region and the western U.S., where they are managed as a weed.

Appearance

Growth form: A perennial that forms a branching mound about 2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m) tall.
Flowers: Many small white flowers spread along fine branches; garden forms can also have blooms.
Flowering time: In U.S. gardens, it blooms from summer into early fall.

Look-alikes

Annual baby's-breathGypsophila elegans

Annual baby's-breath has larger, more open flowers and completes its life in one year. This species has many smaller blooms and returns from its root.

Why they get mixed upBoth are sold as baby's-breath and have white, airy flowers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Gardens
Roadsides
Open sandy ground
Range: Native to Europe and introduced in North America, it can grow outside gardens in several U.S. regions.
Preferred conditions: It grows best in sun and well-drained neutral to alkaline soil.

Cautions

Cautions: Repeated handling may irritate skin, eyes, or airways.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms: Florists often grow double-flowered cultivars, while wild plants usually have simpler flowers.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Threats: Escaped plants can crowd open habitats in some U.S. regions around the Great Lakes and in the West.

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