Invasive Species Council of British Columbia
Invasive Plant

Baby’s breath

Gypsophila paniculata

About This Species

Baby’s breath (Common gypsophila) is an escaped ornamental plant native to Europe. It thrives in basic to neutral soils with full sun. Baby’s breath is frequently used in floral arrangements and if you have a bouquet including it, make sure not to dispose of it in the compost. 

When Baby’s breath invades grazing land, it reduces native grasses and forage for grazing animals and wildlife. When it develops seeds and matures, the plant breaks off at the ground and rolls long distances across the landscape with the ability to spread over 10,000 seeds per plant!  

How to Identify

Baby’s breath is a slender, twiggy perennial plant. It can grow 0.4 to 1.2 m tall as a mound shaped bush. 

Flowers are very numerous on highly branched inflorescences. Each flower is tiny (6-8 mm), star-shaped with five petals, and is white to light pink. 

Leaves are opposite each other, silvery-green and narrow. They measure approximately 2.5-5.0 cm long and can be smooth or hairy. When Baby’s breath is in flower, the leaves are often not noticeable. 

Credit: R Mueller

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Plantwise

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A few non-invasive alternatives to plant instead of Baby’s breath include:

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INVASIVE SPECIES INFORMATION

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