Leaf
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Baby's breath
Gypsophila paniculata L.
Also known as: Gypsophila, Common gypsophila
Family: Caryophyllaceae
40 to 90 cm tall
Sunny beds and borders, free-draining chalky soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Hardy to about -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its nickname "bridal veil" comes from its classic use in floristry to create a light cloud around the main flowers of a bouquet.
🍃 Leaves
Opposite, narrow, lanceolate, blue-green, few in number
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, white or pink, very numerous, forming a light cloud carried on fine, much-branched stems
🍎 Fruits
Small dry capsule with seeds
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — herbaceous plant
🗺️ Distribution
Native to central and eastern Europe and western Asia
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small nectar-rich flowers visited by many foraging insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Beds, borders and above all cut flower, used to lighten bouquets (including bridal bouquets)
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Contains saponins: mildly toxic if eaten by dogs and cats (digestive upset), and may irritate the skin on contact with the sap.
🌱 Known cultivars
'Bristol Fairy'
Unlike the type species, whose flowers are single, the cultivar 'Bristol Fairy' produces a multitude of small double flowers that give a much denser, frothier white cloud.
🌿 Other Caryophyllaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
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