Malcolmia maritima

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Virginia stock
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Malcolmia
Species: M. maritima
Binomial name
Malcolmia maritima
(L.) Ait. f.

Virginia stock (Malcolmia maritima (L.) Ait. f.) is a popular annual garden plant from the family Brassicaceae. A beautiful and profusely flowering annual, it is probably one of the easiest of all plants to grow. Growing to about 6-12 inches tall (15–30 cm), it makes a mass of pink, purple and white fragrant four petalled (cruciform) flowers. It is native in the Mediterranean region (from Greece to Spain)[1] where it occurs in maritime sandy habitats and in waste places.

Contents

[edit] Cultivation

For best results in growing Virginia stock, sow on the surface in patches or rows and thin the young plants to 6 inches apart. It prefers full to partial sun and well drained soils [2].

[edit] Varieties

There is a fair amount of variation in cultivated material, particularly with regard to stature and flower colour (variously violet, purple, lavender, pink).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea
  2. ^ Huxley, A. (ed.) 1992. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening

[edit] External links


Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages