Gillyflower: sowing, location & the most beautiful varieties

Whether as a cut flower, in cottage garden or as a fragrant plant, gillyflower is ideal for various uses. It features a wide range of varieties with different flower colours.

Of the gillyflower varieties (Matthiola), the garden gillyflower (Matthiola incana) is the most widely used. That is why we mainly deal with this variant in this article. Among other things, we explain below how to sow gillyflower and suitable locations for Matthiola incana. To give you an overview, we have also presented some of the most beautiful gillyflower varieties.

Gillyflower: origin and characteristics

Gillyflower belongs to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae). Its range extends over the western and central Mediterranean. In eastern parts of Central Europe and North Africa, garden gillyflower is naturalised as a neophyte. Natural sites include sandy and gravelly soils as well as rocky sites in coastal regions. The plant is also found in ruderal areas. As early as the 16th century, Matthiola incana was mentioned in writing and found in many gardens around 1730. The summer flower is actually an evergreen semi-shrub. Here in Germany, however, gillyflower usually only grows as an annual or biennial herbaceous plant with bushy growth because of its low winter hardiness. It reaches heights of 20 to 80 cm and forms a taproot. In very mild areas, garden gillyflower can even occur as a short-lived perennial. The plant has grey, felt-like hairs and its narrow lanceolate leaves are arranged basally and alternately on the upright shoots.

The stalked flowers of the gillyflower stand together in racemose inflorescences and exude a pleasant fragrance. The petals of the hermaphrodite gillyflowers can be white, creamy yellow, purple, pink, blue or red, among other colours. The sterile, filled gillyflower, of which there are now many varieties, are particularly popular. The pretty flowers can also be used to embellish dishes as they are edible. The flowering time of the gillyflower extends from the end of April to October, depending on the sowing time.

Tip: Gillyflower is excellent for use as cut flowers and will survive in water for about 8 days.

The most beautiful varieties

Gillyflower seed mixtures are often sold in shops and often do not mention the varieties contained. Some of them are also available individually. It should be noted, however, that sowing gillyflower will not necessarily produce double flowering plants, even if the respective variety has been described in this way. Filled flowering specimens can be recognised beforehand by their lighter, yellowish foliage – the leaves of unfilled plants look healthier and greener.

• ˈAnytime Yellowˈ: The flowers of this variety are double-filled and creamy yellow to white in colour. The plants can reach heights of around 70 cm.
• ˈBrompton White and Lilacˈ: This is a cultivar mix with biennial, bushy growing gillyflower with white and purple flowers. With a growth height of about 35 cm, they are ideal for pots or balcony boxes.

• ˈCinderella Appleblossomˈ: This slightly branched variety remains rather low-growing at 25 cm tall. It forms strong panicles with large, double, light pink single flowers. Gillyflower has even received an award from the British Royal Horticultural Society as a plant particularly worthy of gardening. Its fragrance was awarded the title “Fragrance of the Year” by the British Garden Centre Association.

• ˈMammoth Lavender-Lilacˈ: This robust and vigorous variety is very suitable as a cut flower with its height of up to 90 cm. It forms a multitude of dense, double flowering panicles with strong stems. The flowers are deep lavender in colour.
• ˈMiracle Whiteˈ: The panicles of these varieties are profusely covered with snow-white, double flowers and grow to around 60 cm in height. This variety is ideal for bridal bouquets or other wedding decorations due to its stylish and elegant effect.
• ˈPillow Talkˈ: This biennial, unfilled variety grows to about 45 cm tall and also bears white flowers that turn a delicate pink as they fade.
• ˈTen Week Brilliant Roseˈ: The special features of this 35 cm tall, double variety are the beautiful shape of the large flowers and the brilliance of the intense pink colour.

Planting gillyflower

Matthiola incana is commercially available primarily as seed. However, growing gillyflower from seed is not difficult.

Sowing gillyflower

Gillyflower can be sown at different times. The next steps differ depending on when it is sown. A distinction is made between three variants:

1. One possibility is to sow the gillyflower in September and plant it outside in a protected area around mid to late October – either in a greenhouse or in a raised bed protected with fleece. The plants can overwinter there and flower the following year as early as May.
2. If you do not have the opportunity to sufficiently protect the gillyflower outdoors, you can also overwinter the plants in pots indoors in a bright, frost-free place at a maximum of 10 °C. In this case, you can begin sowing from June.
3. The last option is to sow the garden gillyflower indoors from January to March and plant it outdoors from May. Due to the early sowing, the gillyflower should bloom the same year but this may happen quite late. It also happens that so early in the year and behind window glass, there is not enough light for the young plants to grow healthily. The first two options are therefore preferable in this case.

A step-by-step guide to sowing gillyflower

• Fill sowing pots with permeable compost
• Sprinkle with seeds and press only lightly as it is a light germinator
• Keep the substrate with the seeds moist and place the container in a bright place
• Germination temperature 15 – 20 °C
• Germination period 7 – 14 days
• After 3 – 4 weeks, transplant into pots of approx. 10 cm
• Planting distance 25 x 25 cm
• Final pot with a capacity of about 15 l

Tip: If the plants are sown too late, more foliage than flowers will form due to the warm temperatures.

The right location for gillyflower

Garden gillyflower prefers moderately dry to fresh, chalky and well-drained soil in sunny, warm and wind-protected locations. Therefore, a site on a wall or wall of a house is good. Prolonged drought or waterlogging can damage gillyflower. The pH value of the soil should be in the neutral to slightly alkaline range. Gillyflower can also easily be cultivated in pots. A planter with drainage for excess water should be used here. Fill the bottom of the container with a drainage layer of expanded clay to a height of approx. 3 cm. Use a high-quality flower compost as a substrate. Our peat-free Plantura Organic Flower Compost is a good choice here as it contains crushed, expanded clay for optimum permeability and thus minimises the risk of waterlogging. In addition, the summer flower is supplied with sufficient nutrients during the first few months thanks to the added fertilisers and quality compost.

Organic Flower Compost, 40L

(5/5)

• Perfect for all flowering plants in garden beds & pots
• For beautiful blossoms & healthy plant growth
• Peat-free & organic soil: CO₂-saving composition

£16.99

Shop now!

Care

Gillyflower should definitely be watered on hot summer days and in dry conditions, even when planted outdoors. When growing in pots, check the water supply daily. The soil for your gillyflower should always be kept moist.

Fertilisation of garden gillyflower should take place mainly in spring and summer at flowering time. If the scented plant is planted in late summer then it should not be fertilised at all during this time. This can have a negative effect on the frost hardiness and potentially encourage excessive growth and pest infestation. The best fertiliser for pot cultures is a liquid fertiliser given at approximately four-week intervals. Our Plantura Liquid Flower Food is ideal for this purpose: with its NK ratio of 5-3, it is optimally adapted to vigorous flowering plants such as gillyflower. In addition, our liquid fertiliser contains living microorganisms (Bacillus sp.), which support the growth and health of these plants.

Liquid Flower Food, 800ml

(5/5)

• Perfect for all flowers & balcony plants
• Liquid fertiliser for a lush blossom throughout the season
• Quick & easy application - child & pet friendly

£10.99

Shop now!

Compost or a long-term fertiliser granulate can be used if growing outdoors. It should be noted that the nitrogen content of the fertiliser must not be too high, as gillyflower does not have a very high demand for nitrogen and this could also lead to excessive growth of foliage and fewer flowers.

For vases, gillyflower can be cut when the uppermost flowers are still closed. Remove the lower leaves so that they do not stand in the water. By changing the water regularly, the garden gillyflower will survive in the vase for up to 10 days.

Is gillyflower hardy?

Garden gillyflower is hardy down to temperatures of around – 15 °C. If it is to be overwintered outdoors, it is therefore advisable to use fleece protection. Pots are best overwintered in a frost-free and bright place at a maximum of 10 °C – lower temperatures are better. This cold period encourages flower bud development, also called vernalisation.

Propagation

The most sensible method of propagating gillyflower is by sowing. The sowing procedure is the same as already described above. However, seeds are only produced by the single-flowering plants as the double flowers are sterile. If several varieties are cultivated, non-varietal propagation is also to be expected. After the plants have flowered, narrow pods form in which the seeds are found. These can be harvested when ripe as the pods open very easily. If you prefer double-flowering varieties, you will need to obtain seeds from professional producers.

Tip: There is a trick to propagating filled flowering gillyflower yourself. If cultivating several varieties together, you should take as many seeds as possible from different plants and sow them. Filled flowering phenotypes could well be among them in all probability.
This can be recognised as early as the germination stage – namely by the fact that their cotyledons look comparatively yellowish, which is a peculiarity of the gillyflower.

Is gillyflower poisonous?

Garden gillyflower is not dangerous for humans or animals. As you have already learned, the petals of the summer flower can even be eaten. They enhance the appearance of any dish.

Another beautiful summer flower with a great diversity of species and varieties is the scabious (Scabiosa). Some varieties are also popular as cut flowers in bouquets.