Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Dame's Rocket







Botanical name: Hesperis matronalis
Other name: Dame's Violet, Mother-of-the-Evening, Sweet Rocket, Danask Violet, Dame’s Gilliflower, Night Scented Gilliflower, Queen’s Gilliflower, Rogue’s Gilliflower, Summer Lilac

Description
An upright, hardy perennial native to Europe, but has escaped cultivation and adapted throughout most of the United States. Delightful lilac-purple flowers are concentrated at the end of sturdy stalks. The genus name, Hesperis, is Greek, meaning "evening", referring to the plant's unique characteristic of filling the night with its ever so sweet fragrance. It can be seen from great distances when planted in mass.

How to grow

Height: 2-3 feet
Light: Prefer full sun
Germination: 20-30 days
Optimum soil temperature for germination: 70-80F
Sowing depth: 1/16"
Soil type: Moist soil preferred.
Blooming period: May-August

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