Gypsophila elegans Kermesina | Annual Baby’s Breath

Gypsophila elegans ‘Kermesina’ | Annual Baby’s Breath

Deep pink filler · Cut flower & garden favourite

Gypsophila elegans ‘Kermesina’ is one of our absolute favourites, yet surprisingly rarely grown. This beautiful annual baby’s breath produces myriads of star-like flowers in the deepest, darkest pink, a colour that feels both dramatic and delicately airy.

‘Kermesina’ is the pink-flowered form of Gypsophila elegans and is shorter and more compact than the more commonly grown white varieties. Its fine, branching stems and cloud-like flowering habit make it indispensable for flower arranging, garden displays, and cut flower use.

Plants grow quickly and flower around 50–60 days from sowing. When grown in slightly restricted pots, plants tend to bolt and flower earlier, making this variety especially versatile for both garden and container use. Overwintered plants can flower early in spring.

Plant Information

• Botanical name: Gypsophila elegans
• Variety: ‘Kermesina’
• Common name: Annual Baby’s Breath
• Life cycle: Annual
• Hardiness: Hardy
• Height: approx. 50–60 cm
• Spread: approx. 30 cm
• Flower colour: Deep pink
• Days to maturity: 50–60 days
• Light: Full sun
• Suitable for: Summer bedding, cut flowers, cottage gardens

Sowing & Germination

Direct sowing recommended

• Sow directly outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in spring
• Surface sow or broadcast onto well-prepared, finely raked soil
• Barely cover seeds with soil
• Germination: 7–18 days
• Thin seedlings to 30–40 cm spacing

Optional:
Can be started indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost, or autumn sown for germination the following spring.

Growing Instructions

• Prefers normal, well-drained soil, kept slightly moist
• Do not fertilise – rich soil results in large plants with fewer flowers
• Easy to grow once established
• Plants benefit from regular cutting, which encourages continued flowering

Care & Maintenance

• Pinch growing tips to encourage bushier plants
• No deadheading required
• Plants die back after first frosts
• Will self-seed freely, returning the following year under suitable conditions

Uses

• Fresh cut flowers
• Airy filler for bouquets
• Cottage and cutting gardens
• Container and pot displays