How to Grow Dame's Rocket
About Growing Dame's Rocket Flowers in Your Home Garden
Growing Dame’s Rocket plants is certainly quite easy. While popular in the flower garden for its profuse blooms, it is also grown as a wildflower. Others still, consider it an invasive weed. And even the USDA refers to it as “weedy and invasive”. Native to Eurasia and Japan, it is a member of the mustard family, that was introduced into the US in the 1600s. Its prolific seed production is the cause for its quick spread wherever it is grown. Wildflower mixtures frequently include perennial Dame’s Rocket seeds.
The flowers are fragrant, in colors of white, pink, and purple. The four-petaled flowers of this biennial, bloom profusely in large, loose clusters during the second year. The wait is worth it.
Their native habitat is woodlands and along the edges of woodlands, which offers them the light shade that they prefer. You can also find them along roadsides and even in open spaces.
Flowers Bloom: Spring through summer.
Plant Height: 1 to 4 feet tall.
Other Names: This flower is also called Dame’s Violet, Sweet Rocket, Damask Violet
Perennial- Biennial, Hesperis Matronalis
Dame's Rocket is an Edible Plant
You’ll never starve when growing Dame’s Rocket plants. The young leaves, tender portions of stems, and pods are edible. They are used as pot herbs.
The flowers are used in fruit dishes and salads.
See more Edible Flowers
Perennial Dame's Rocket Plant Propagation
The plants are grown from seed. Sow Dame’s Rocket seeds directly into your flower garden. For outdoor starts, plant Dame’s Rocket seeds after the soil begins to warm in the spring. Or, start the plants indoors for transplanting later.
Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with soil.
Final Plant Spacing: Space seeds or seedlings 12-18″ apart. It won’t take long for the young seedlings to spread out, filling the space you provide for it to grow.
How to Grow Dam'e's Rocket Flower Plants
Dame’s Rocket plants are very easy to grow. The plants grow best in full sun to partial shade.
They will grow in almost any soil, as long as it its kept moist. The plants do not like hot, humid weather, and will grow best in more northerly climates.
Keep soil moist at all times.
Fertilize the plants every four to six weeks, for best performance.
Garden Tip: Use garden edging to help keep these somewhat invasive plants within the area you designate for it.
These hardy, cool weather plants do not need winter protection.
Ideal Soil pH: 5.0 – 8.0. This is a very broad pH range.
Also, see:
Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.
Insects and Plant Disease
Dame’s Rocket plants have few insect or disease problems. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.
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