Stock
Matthiola
Stock blooms from April through June.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Stock
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 2–11. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 8 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Stock
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Stock into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from April to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in April.
Comes in 6 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Stock
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Its clove-like scent and its deer resistance come from the same thing: the pungent mustard-oil chemistry of its family, the Brassicaceae. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Frost hardiness is disputed
Iowa State rates it hardy to about 28 F, but UGA classes it a tender annual. Plant out after hard frosts and protect it through a freeze. per Iowa State and UGA
Quits in summer heat
The defining trait: bloom collapses once temperatures pass about 80 F and on warm nights. Plant it early so it flowers before summer heat arrives. per NC State
Fragrant cut flower
A top fragrant cut flower with a 7 to 10 day vase life. Double-flowered forms last longest, so choose doubles over singles. per Mississippi State
Safe for pets
The ASPCA lists it among non-toxic bouquet flowers for pets, and the flowers are even reported as edible. per ASPCA
Draws brassica pests
As a mustard-family plant it draws typical brassica pests: aphids, thrips, flea beetles, diamondback moth caterpillars and springtails. per Mississippi State
What pairs well with Stock
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
False Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Passionflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Rose of Sharon
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Moonflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
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