Creeping baby's-breath is a prostrate, mat-forming perennial from dry, chalky mountain slopes in central and southern Europe, grown in rock gardens and on dry walls. Its key to success is sharp drainage and full sun.
Family
Caryophyllaceae (Pink & carnation family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water moderately while establishing, then only in prolonged dry spells; let the soil dry between waterings.
Soil
Poor, very well-drained, alkaline or chalky soil or gritty mix.
Temperature
Hardy to about -20 °C; tolerates cold winters well, dislikes wet cold.
How easy
Easy
Native range
Mts. of C. & S. Europe
Climate
temperate
About
Gypsophila repens, the alpine gypsophila or creeping baby's breath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, where it grows on dry, chalky slopes. The Latin name literally means "creeping chalk-lover". It is a prostrate, mat-forming herbaceous perennial, growing around 20 cm (8 in) tall by 30–50 cm (12–20 in) wide. For much of the summer it bears masses of star-shaped flowers which may be white, lilac or light purple, in loose panicles.
In cultivation this plant is often grown in rock gardens or against dry stone walls. Like its relative G. paniculata, it is also used as a cut flower. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Gypsophila repens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.