Malcolmia maritima(Virginia Stock)

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

Botanical Name	Malcolmia maritima
Family	Brassicaceae
Genus	Malcolmia
Specie	maritima
Local Name in Urdu
Common Name	Virginia Stock
Life Cycle	Annuals
Cultivar Name
Fragrant or Not	yes
Category(Bush/Vine/Tree)	small shrub
Height	6-12 in.
Spacing	6-9 in
Flowering Months	spring
Flower Color	Pink Violet/Lavender Purple
Growing Areas	All Pakistan
Frost Tender	yes
Exposure	Full Sun
Soil pH	tolerent
Propagation	by seeds
Uses	ornamental bedding plant
Other Details	One of the easiest of all flowering plants to grow. Virginia Stock offers a profusion of simple, four-petaled flowers in a harmonious blend of pink, white, reddish and lavender shades. Perfect for scattering into paving crevices, rock walls or other nooks and crannies. Ideal cover for fading bulb foliage, it performs best in cool weather, and will start to bloom in as little as 6 weeks after sowing.For blooms throughout the growing season, sow every 4 weeks. In mild winter climates, sow in fall for early spring bloom..

image courtesy farhan ahmad.

[Farhan Ahmed]

Frost hardy with nice fragrance. Can be sheared for second flush after which plant becomes in sightly. Performs best when sown in-situ. Comes up very easily even in difficult conditions. Planting distance about 3-4 inches. Blooms early and will finish early, so you might have to replace with some other annual if you want some color in mid-late spring at its location.