Mignonette ‘White Mignonette’
Reseda alba
Description
Long, upright stems are covered in glowing snow-white flowers that have a strong vanilla fragrance. A great scented ingredient for bouquets and a favorite with pollinators. A rich history surrounds this relatively unknown flower. Legend has it that Napoleon sent mignonette seeds from Egypt to France for his darling Empress Josephine in the early 1800s.
Details
Plant type: hardy annual
Height: 24 to 36 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 60 to 70 days
Plant spacing: 9 to 12 in
Pinch: not necessary
Height: 24 to 36 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 60 to 70 days
Plant spacing: 9 to 12 in
Pinch: not necessary
Seed Sowing & Growing Notes
Start seed indoors in trays 4 to 6 weeks before last frost; transplant out after all danger of frost has passed. Succession-plant every 2 weeks for continual harvest.
Harvesting/Vase Life
Harvest when the bottom one-third of the flowers on a spire open, or let them bloom and pick after the seedpods mature. Stems are delicate and must be picked with care. Expect a vase life of 5 to 7 days.
Details
Description
Long, upright stems are covered in glowing snow-white flowers that have a strong vanilla fragrance. A great scented ingredient for bouquets and a favorite with pollinators. A rich history surrounds this relatively unknown flower. Legend has it that Napoleon sent mignonette seeds from Egypt to France for his darling Empress Josephine in the early 1800s.
Details
Plant type: hardy annual
Height: 24 to 36 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 60 to 70 days
Plant spacing: 9 to 12 in
Pinch: not necessary
Height: 24 to 36 in
Site: full sun
Days to maturity: 60 to 70 days
Plant spacing: 9 to 12 in
Pinch: not necessary
Seed Sowing & Growing Notes
Start seed indoors in trays 4 to 6 weeks before last frost; transplant out after all danger of frost has passed. Succession-plant every 2 weeks for continual harvest.
Harvesting/Vase Life
Harvest when the bottom one-third of the flowers on a spire open, or let them bloom and pick after the seedpods mature. Stems are delicate and must be picked with care. Expect a vase life of 5 to 7 days.
Sources
How to Grow
Sources
How to Grow
Seed-Saving Mini Course
Learn how to save seed from zinnia, dahlia, and celosia
In our upcoming free, three-part video series, you’ll learn everything you need to know to save seeds on a home scale, including how plants are pollinated and isolation techniques to ensure varieties come back true, how to tell when plants are ready to pick and how to harvest the seeds, and how to properly dry, clean, and store seeds long term.
