Flower Profile: Sweet William

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is a classic cottage garden flower with colorful, showy blooms and often a sweet, spicy fragrance. It's a popular cut flower for bouquets, with a long vase life and an easy-to-grow nature that makes it a favorite among cool-season gardeners and florists alike.

It was the first flower to bloom in my cutting garden this spring. The first buds appeared on strong 12-18" stems in early March. My mix only included solid colors, including a weird reddish-coral that reminds me of roadwork signs. But the white, magenta, and pinks were beautiful. Dark cherry was interesting but not terribly useful in spring arrangements. It can even be cut early before blooming as green puff balls.

Sweet William plants budded up in March at our Pittsboro, NC farm.

Sweet William is of the carnation family and has relatively few pests. Keep it cool, watered and weeded, and it does the rest. The 'Amazon' series takes heat a bit better than most but peters out by late June.

Pros: few diseases; long vase life; early color

Cons?: doesn’t like heat; readily reseeds; fouls vase water quickly

Overall: Will plant again (different colors though)

Sweet William Plant Profile

Growing

Seasonality: Biennial. We planted transplants in October. 

Native area: Mountains of Europe and Asia

Propagation style: seed or from cuttings. Do not cover seed, needs light to germinate.

Location: Full sun to partial shade

Height: 2 feet tall

Spacing: 8-12 inches apart

Hardiness: zones 3-9. Didn't flinch at 20-degree weather.

Soil type: well-draining, not fussy

Pollinators attracted: bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

Features: Some cultivars have a clove fragrance; requires a cold period

Toxicity: Humans and pets. Can cause mild stomach upset if ingested in large quantities.

Cutting

Flower Type: filler

Flower colors: Pink, red, white, and purple (also bi-colored or tri-colored)

Yield: 3-10 stems/plant

Vase life: 7-10 days

Harvest stage: 10-20% open

Storage: cold; add bleach/biocide to water

Victorian symbolism: bravery, gallantry

Fun facts: HRH Princess Kate included Sweet William in her wedding bouquet. Thomas Jefferson grew Sweet William in his Monticello gardens.