Virginia stock is a popular annual garden plant from the family Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....

. 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) where it occurs in maritime sandy habitats and in waste places.

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 .

Varieties

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