Wallflower (Sunset Mixed)

How to grow Wallflower (Sunset Mixed)

Erysimum cheiri

🌸 Flower 🌱 Grown each year

Velvety, sweetly scented flowers in fiery shades in April and May — perfect with tulips in spring pots and beds.

At a glance: Sow mid May to late June.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sow indoors
Plant
Flowers

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Wallflower (Sunset Mixed): what it needs

Light
Full sun · 4+ hours a day
Watering
Keep moist while young; water in dry spells
Soil
Moist, well-drained soil
Spacing
25 cm
Height
35 cm
In pots
Grows well in containers
Feeding
A little general feed in spring
Hardiness
USDA zones 4–9

Step by step

  1. Mid May – late June · 4 weeks after the last spring frost

    Sow Seeds

    Sow thinly in trays or pots of seed compost, outdoors in a shady spot or in a cold frame. Pinch out the tips when 15 cm tall for bushier plants.

  2. 7–14 days after “Sow Seeds” · Late May

    Check Germination

    Seedlings appear in 7–14 days. Keep the compost moist.

  3. 14–28 days after “Check Germination” · Early June – mid June

    Pot On Seedlings

    Move seedlings into their own 9 cm pots and grow them on through the summer.

  4. Early September – early October · 6 weeks before the first autumn frost

    Plant Out for Next Year

    Plant into their flowering positions 25 cm apart. They make leaves this year and flower next April–May.

  5. 180–220 days after “Plant Out for Next Year” · Early March – mid April

    Flowering — Enjoy and Deadhead

    Your plants should flower around April–May. Remove faded spikes to encourage more, or leave some to self-seed.

  6. 45–75 days after “Flowering — Enjoy and Deadhead” · Mid April – mid May

    Clear or Let Self-Seed

    After flowering, pull out spent plants — or leave a few to drop seed for next year.

More flowers to grow

Photo: পাপৰি বৰা / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)