Person in a floral dress holding a large bunch of Hesperis White (Hesperis matronalis)

Hesperis White (Sweet Rocket)

£2.20
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Person in a floral dress holding a large bunch of Hesperis White (Hesperis matronalis)
RHS Plants for Pollinators

Hesperis White (Sweet Rocket)

Hesperis matronalis

2 reviews

Tall luminous white Sweet Rocket spikes that release violet-and-clove fragrance at dusk — the moon-garden hero filling the gap between spring and summer.

£2.20

Free UK delivery on seed orders over £40

Dispatched from our Norfolk farm by Royal Mail, usually within one working day.

Your growing year

Sow, plant out and flowering months for this variety

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
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Sow
Plant out
In flower
SowPlant outIn flower

At a glance

Height
75-90cm
Spread
45cm
Spacing
40cm
Position
Partial shade to full sun
Colour
White
Seeds per packet
500
Soil
Moist, well-drained, fertile soil
Grow guide How to grow Hesperis White (Sweet Rocket) Read the full guide →

About this variety

The white sweet rocket, and the better of the two for an evening garden. Same branching stems at 75 to 90cm, same clusters of four-petalled flowers, same heavy violets-and-cloves fragrance released as the light goes. The difference is that the white flowers hold light at dusk while the purple ones disappear into the shadows.

That combination of a flower that glows and a scent that arrives at the same moment is why it is a fixture of moon gardens. It also fills an awkward gap. Tulips are finished, roses have not started, and there is very little white about in May and June. This covers it.

It is a biennial, so leaves in year one and flowers in year two, then it dies and reseeds. Grown near purple sweet rocket it will cross and the seedlings come back purple, so keep them apart if you want the white to hold.

It is the same orange tip butterfly food plant as the purple form, so leave a few seed pods standing. Like all brassicas it mildews in a dry late summer and looks tired afterwards.

RHS Plants for Pollinators

This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →
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N
Neesie
Happy Hesperis

I've never grown Hesperis (sweet rocket) until this year, but Melanie's seeds were so successful and prolific, that I now have beautiful flowers wafting their amazing aroma around my garden...plus our honey bees are so happy 🐝 In fact lots of pollinators are visiting!

A
Anita

Excellent seeds, speedy delivery