Wikimedia Commons
Brassicaceae
Dame's Rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Evening enchantment.
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Genus
- Hesperis
- Native to
- Europe, Central Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- biennial herb
- Height
- 2-4 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, well-drained, neutral to alkaline
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-9
- Lifespan
- biennial
Did you know
- Dame's rocket is often confused with garden phlox, but can be distinguished by its four petals versus phlox's five.
- The genus name Hesperis means 'evening' in Greek, because the fragrance intensifies dramatically after sunset.
- Marie Antoinette was said to have planted dame's rocket in the gardens of the Petit Trianon at Versailles.
- Though beloved in cottage gardens, it is listed as invasive in several U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
- In the Victorian language of flowers, dame's rocket could mean either 'you are the queen of coquettes' or 'fashionable.'
Color meanings
0
deceit
1
desire