Dianthus barbatus
Sweet William
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Biennial
- Flowering
- May–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy
Description
Sweet William is a biennial to short‑lived perennial with dense, disk‑shaped flower heads in white, pink, red, and deep purple, including the dark 'Sooty' variety with nearly black flowers. In its first year it forms only a rosette of leaves; fragrant flower heads appear on 30 to 50 cm tall stems only in the second year. As a classic cottage garden and cut flower, it adorns beds, borders, and vases alike and attracts numerous butterflies and bees.
Care instructions
Plant Sweet William in a sunny to partially shaded spot with well‑drained, humus‑rich, slightly calcareous soil. Regularly remove spent flower heads to prolong flowering; if you leave some heads, they self‑seed reliably and return. Because the plant usually dies after flowering, sow new seeds each year to maintain continuous bloom. In harsh conditions, a light leaf cover over winter suffices, in typical DACH gardens it is fully winter‑hardy.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Aug
Soil & site
For your garden
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