The illustrated growing guide
Stock (Gillyflower)
Matthiola incana
Family Brassicaceae
Est. zones 2-11
One of the most powerfully fragrant flowers in the garden — spikes of ruffled blooms drenched in a sweet, spicy, clove perfume that fills a room from a few cut stems and carries across the evening garden to draw moths. A cool-season annual, so grow it in spring's chill (or fall down South); it melts in summer heat. Plant it where you'll pass by at dusk.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will stock (gillyflower) suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what stock (gillyflower) actually needs.
Life cycleBiennial, grown as an annualStock (Gillyflower) at a glance
Common stock (gillyflower) problems
- Aphids
- Flea Beetle
- Root Rot in wet soil
- Downy Mildew
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow stock (gillyflower): light, water & soil
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The year
What stock (gillyflower) asks for, month by month.
The stock (gillyflower) year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The stock (gillyflower) year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar bloom
- Apr bloom
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Stock (Gillyflower) in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer annual
- Nectary/insectary
What stock (gillyflower) is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Harvesting & storing stock (gillyflower)
Ornamental cut flower (one of the most fragrant).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of stock (gillyflower), ruled as a catalogue.
Best stock (gillyflower) varieties & cultivars
'Katz' and 'Vintage' series (cut flowers); 'Cinderella' (dwarf); 'Night Scented' (M. longipetala, ultra-fragrant)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to stock (gillyflower)yet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Stock (Gillyflower) questions, answered straight.
Is stock (gillyflower) safe for kids and pets?
Stock (Gillyflower) is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest stock (gillyflower)?
Ornamental cut flower (one of the most fragrant).
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Elsewhere
Where stock (gillyflower) sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily