Baby's Breath

Baby's breath is an herbaceous perennial that grows to about 1.2 metres tall and wide, forming mounds of branching stems covered in clouds of tiny white flowers through the summer. It is native to central and eastern Europe and grows wild on the steppes, in dry, sandy and stony places, often on chalky soils, which is the meaning of the genus name Gypsophila, chalk-loving. Specimens were first sent to Linnaeus from St Petersburg by the Swiss-Russian botanist Johann Amman. Gardeners grow it in well-drained alkaline to neutral soil in full sun, and florists use the sprays as a filler in bouquets. The name probably comes from the flowers, though one other explanation offered is a sour-milk scent. It is toxic to humans and can cause contact dermatitis.