How to Grow Centranthus Plants in your Garden

Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Red Valerian and Jupiter's Beard

Centranthus genus plants are shrubby hardy perennials that reach between 70 and 90 cm (30 to 36 inches) in height.

Some of the common names for Centranthus plants include Jupiter's beard, Petty Betsy, Valerian, and Keys of heaven.

They flower from the late spring, with blooms of white or pink flowers

Their size makes them ideal for rockeries, or to fill the gaps in walls.

Centranthus (Red valerian) by Matthew Hillier.

Centranthus ruber by Captain Mish.

How to Grow Centranthus

Centranthus plants should be sown outdoors in the early spring before the last frost. Once sown the seeds should be lightly covered.

They should ideally be grown in sunny parts of the garden. Ideally locate in limy soils which have good drainage.

If you first plan to grow seedlings of Jupiter's beard and other Centranthus species indoors, then you should start the process about eight weeks before you plan to transplant them into the garden. Ideally after the last frost of spring.

They require about three or four weeks to germinate at a temperature of about 18 degrees celsius (64°F).

When planting the seedlings out, they should be spaced at about 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches) apart.

Caring for Centranthus in the Garden

Centranthus plants should be lightly fertilised in the spring.

Once the first flowers have finished blooming, cutting them off will often result in a second bloom.

At the end of the autumn, the plants inflorescence stems should be cut back to the ground.

I hope that you found this guide on how to grow Centranthus plants in your garden. You may also enjoy my gardening guides on how to grow Weigela florida Alexandra, Scabiosa plant, and Patrinia plants.