How to grow wallflowers (2024)

  • BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Sunday, 10 May 2020 at 3:53 pm

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Find out all you need to know about growing wallflowers, in this detailed Grow Guide.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sowyesyes
Plantyesyes
Flowersyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
Take cuttingsyesyesyesyes

Wallflowers (Erysimum), are commonly grown as a spring bedding plant. Most wallflowers are biennial, and are grown from seed in late spring and then planted out in autumn (you can buy bare-root wallflower plants for autumn planting). They flower the following March, offering a splash of colour when there's little else in bloom. They combine beautifully with spring bulbs.

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Perennial wallflowers are also available, and have become increasingly popular in recent years. Varieties such as 'Bowles's Mauve' and 'Winter Orchid' flower almost continually throughout the year, making them great value in small gardens. Perennial wallflowers are a great source of nectar, so can provide a reliable source of food for pollinators over a long season.

Grow wallflowers in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Sow biennal wallflowers annually in late spring and plant them out in autumn. Dig them up and compost them after flowering.

Plant perennial wallflowers between May and September. Cut back periodically to maintain a good shape and promote flowering. Take cuttings regularly to ward against losses.

More on growing wallflowers:

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  • Five wallflowers to grow
  • 10 plants for easy summer flowers
  • Erysimum bicolor 'Bowles's Mauve'

Find out more about growing wallflowers in our detailed Grow Guide, below.

Where to grow wallflowers

How to grow wallflowers (1)

Wallflowers do best in moist but well-drained soils, in a sunny location. They'll tolerate partial shade.

Bedding (biennial) wallflowers work well when planted with spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, and can also be grown in pots. Perennial wallflowers are best planted towards the front of a mixed ornamental border.

Wallflowers woth well with a number of other spring-flowering plants, including daffodils. Here, Monty Don plants wallflowers and daffodil bulbs along the edge of a path, for a gorgeous spring display:

How to plant wallflowers

How to grow wallflowers (2)

Bedding wallflowers are usually grown from seed. Sow seed in late spring and grow on to plant out in autumn or the following spring.

Here, Monty demonstrates how to sow wallflower seed:

Perennial varieties are best grown from young plants. It's a good idea to add a handful of grit to the planting hole to aid drainage.

Find out how to plant bedding wallflowers in autumn, in this Gardeners' World clip with Monty Don:

How to propagate wallflowers

How to grow wallflowers (3)

Wallflowers are easy to propagate. In the right conditions, biennial varieties will self-seed. Some mat-forming alpine wallflowers can be propagated by division. Perennial wallflowers are sterile and therefore won't set seed but they're very easy to propagate from cuttings.

Find out how to grow wallflowers from seed, in this Gardeners' World clip with Monty Don:

How to care for wallflowers

How to grow wallflowers (4)

Trim flower stalks as they fade. Perennial wallflowers cope well with cold weather and short bouts of frost. However they don't cope well with wet and windy winters, so make sure the soil is well drained and protect from wind.

Growing wallflowers: problem solving

Wallflowers are part of the brassica family and therefore can be prone to club root and other diseases that affect this family of plants. Downy mildew, leaf blight and flea beetles can cause problems; and beware slug and snail damage to young plants.

Perennial wallflowers are quite short-lived and can become woody, so it's a good idea to take cuttings annually to insure against losses.

Wallflowers to grow

How to grow wallflowers (5)

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  • 'Bedding Mixed' – fragrant, rich blooms in a range of colours including red and yellow appear from spring onwards. For best results sow in May in a nursery bed and plant out in autumn for flowering the following spring
  • 'Apricot Delight' – a perennial wallflower, this is a beautiful and floriferous, woody-stemmed small evergreen shrub. The apricot-orange flowers on tall spires, appear for months on end and is a magnet for bees and butterflies
  • 'Sunset Purple' – produces fragrant, rich purple blooms in spring, and often, a second flush in late summer. For best results sow in May in a nursery bed and plant out in autumn to flower the following spring
  • 'Bowles's Mauve' – a beautiful, floriferous, woody-stemmed perennial wallflower. It produces masses of pretty mauve flowers on tall spires, for months on end, and in warm, sheltered gardens will flower all year round
  • 'Winter Orchid' – a perennial variety that flowers prolifically all year round, and is also sweetly scented. Flowers are a mix of orange and purple, so they really brighten up the winter months with their cheery blooms
How to grow wallflowers (2024)

FAQs

How to grow wallflowers? ›

Grow wallflowers in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Sow biennal wallflowers annually in late spring and plant them out in autumn. Dig them up and compost them after flowering. Plant perennial wallflowers between May and September.

Do wallflowers come back next year? ›

do wallflowers grow every year? Many wallflowers are biennial and will only flower for one season, however some wallflowers are perennials, such as 'Bowles Mauve' and will come back year after year.

What are the best growing conditions for wallflowers? ›

How to care for wallflowers
Flowering season(s)Spring, Summer, Autumn
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy
Soil pHNeutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
4 more rows

Where is the best place to plant wallflowers? ›

Plant in a position that receives lots of sun in well-drained, humus-rich soil. Leave around 25-30cm (10-12in) between each plant. Water in well and keep the plants moist until they are well established.

What is the life span of wallflowers? ›

They fizzle out within four to five years, usually succumbing over winter. The way to extend the lifespan of wallflowers and keep them compact and vigorous is to give them a yearly midsummer trim by cutting into the foliage.

Can I leave wallflowers in the ground? ›

They are not fussy about soil types and will grow in average soil. The biennial varieties are best treated as bedding and once flowering has finished, put in the compost. Some varieties will produce flowers another year but the plants do not always look at their best in successive years.

Do wallflowers spread? ›

Cutting some of the old flower spikes will help extend bloom time, yet the plants will self-sow if you allow some stems to hold seed pods until they turn brown. With encouragement, perennial wallflowers will reseed for many years, with seedling sometimes appearing in nearby beds.

Can wallflowers be grown in pots? ›

Wallflowers do best in moist but well-drained soils, in a sunny location. They'll tolerate partial shade. Bedding (biennial) wallflowers work well when planted with spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, and can also be grown in pots.

Can you collect seeds from wallflowers? ›

Wallflowers are grown as spring bedding plants, and discarded after flowering, but they can be kept for several years until they become straggly. If you want to save seeds, wait until the pods are just beginning to split and then let the seed heads open lying on a sheet of newspaper.

Do deer eat wallflowers? ›

Wall flowers are perfect minglers in the garden - they're slug, mildew and deer resistant. Enjoy! You must be signed in before you can post questions or answers.

How long do wallflowers last? ›

How long Wallflowers refills last? These amazing babes last up to 30 days. How long do Wallflowers plugs last? Wallflowers plugs should last for at least two years, but you can keep them in your collection forever (heart emojis).

How do you stop wallflowers from getting leggy? ›

Pruning. To promote the development of bushier and more compact forms in bedding wallflowers, it is advisable to gently pinch off the tips of the plants while they are still young. This practice helps prevent them from growing leggy and encourages a more aesthetically pleasing shape.

Should I deadhead wallflowers? ›

Deadheading is important for keeping wallflowers healthy and full-looking. To encourage ongoing blooming, pinch back spent blooms regularly. Once the plants have finished blooming, or in the early spring in warm climates, prune the stems back by at least half to prevent them from getting leggy.

How often do you water wallflowers? ›

Wallflower Care

Here are some ways to keep your wallflowers healthy: Watering – Water them weekly with 2 inches of water during the first year of growth. In the spring, summer, and fall of its second year, water the plants up to 1 to 2 inches. Come winter, water them once a month.

Which wallflowers are perennial? ›

Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve'

Sturdy green bushes with fragrant mauve flowers from late spring to late summer. A most reliable and robust perennial wallflower.

How long do wallflowers typically last? ›

Wallflowers are biennials, meaning they last for two growing seasons. They typically die after blooming in their second year. In wind-protected and warm places, the plants can also lignify and live for several years in a garden.

Is a wallflower a perennial or annual? ›

Wallflower is a short-lived perennial or biennial often grown as an annual with a long season of blooms. They vary in size from low groundcovers to small shrubs. Sow wallflowers a few weeks before the last frost date for your region to have them blooming in late spring.

Do I cut down wallflowers after flowering? ›

Trim the stems to prevent them from protruding above the foliage. Removing spent blooms often stimulates additional flowering throughout the season. However, it's important to note that some varieties of wallflowers readily self-seed.

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