Japanese name: ハナスズシロ（花蘿蔔、花清白） Scientific name:Hesperis matronalis
[Overview]
A perennial about 60 cm tall.
It has weak heat tolerance and is difficult to carry through the summer in Japan, so in horticulture it is treated as an autumn-sown biennial.
The stem is erect.
The leaves are of two kinds, basal leaves and stem leaves; the basal leaves form a rosette, and large ones reach 12 cm long and more than 4 cm wide.
The stem leaves are simple and alternate, lanceolate, about 6 cm long, with teeth on the margin.
The leaves have short hairs and are rough to the touch.
A raceme about 30 cm long emerges at the stem tip and bears many 4-petaled flowers about 2 cm across.
The flowers are pale purple, white, pink or similar colors, and are fragrant.
The base of the petals forms a long claw.
The fruit is a silique 5–14 cm long, with the seeds arranged in 2 rows inside.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
It spreads readily from self-sown seed.
Double-flowered cultivars are propagated by division.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, alkaline soil.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so it is best grown in a cool, well-ventilated place.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface has dried.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
