Stock (Matthiola): A Fragrant Addition to Your Garden
If you’ve ever caught a whiff of an incredibly sweet, spicy fragrance wafting through your garden on a summer evening, you might have encountered stock. This charming flowering plant, known botanically as Matthiola, has been winning over gardeners for centuries with its intoxicating perfume and cottage garden charm.
What Is Stock?
Stock is a forb herb – essentially a flowering plant without woody stems that dies back to the ground each year or completes its life cycle within one to two years. Don’t let the technical description fool you though; this plant is all about beauty and fragrance. Matthiola can grow as an annual, biennial, or perennial depending on your climate and the specific variety you choose.
Where Does Stock Come From?
Originally hailing from the Mediterranean region, stock is not native to North America. However, it has found its way into gardens across many states and provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Arizona, California, Saskatchewan, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. In Canada, it’s considered a waif – meaning it appears occasionally but doesn’t establish permanent populations. In the lower 48 states, it reproduces on its own and tends to stick around.
Why Grow Stock in Your Garden?
The main draw of stock is undoubtedly its fragrance. These flowers release their strongest scent in the evening and at night, making them perfect for patios, bedroom windows, or anywhere you spend time during cooler parts of the day. The flowers themselves are quite lovely too, typically appearing in soft purples, pinks, whites, and occasional yellows.
Stock works beautifully in:
- Cottage-style gardens
- Cutting gardens for fragrant bouquets
- Container plantings near seating areas
- Moon gardens designed for evening enjoyment
Growing Conditions and Care
Stock is somewhat particular about its growing conditions, but once you understand its preferences, it’s quite rewarding to grow:
Light: Prefers full sun to partial shade
Soil: Well-draining soil is essential – stock doesn’t tolerate soggy conditions
Climate: Cool weather lover that often struggles in hot, humid summers
Hardiness: Generally hardy in USDA zones 7-10, but often grown as an annual in cooler climates
Planting and Care Tips
Getting stock established successfully requires timing and attention to its preferences:
- Direct sow seeds in early spring for cool-season growth
- In hot climates, try fall planting for winter and spring blooms
- Keep soil consistently moist but never waterlogged
- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming
- In very hot areas, provide afternoon shade
- Consider succession planting for extended blooming periods
Pollinator and Wildlife Benefits
Stock’s evening fragrance isn’t just pleasant for humans – it’s specifically designed to attract night-flying pollinators, particularly moths. If you’re interested in supporting nocturnal pollinators, stock can be a valuable addition to your garden ecosystem.
Should You Plant Stock?
While stock isn’t native to North America, it’s not considered invasive either, making it a neutral choice for gardeners who love fragrant flowers. If you’re drawn to its evening perfume and cottage garden appeal, it can certainly earn its place in your landscape.
However, if you’re committed to native-only gardening, consider these fragrant native alternatives:
- Wild bergamot (Monarda) for daytime fragrance
- Four o’clocks (Mirabilis) for evening blooms
- Native honeysuckles for night fragrance
Whether you choose stock or native alternatives, adding evening-fragrant plants to your garden creates magical moments and supports pollinators during their most active hours. Just remember that stock prefers cooler weather and good drainage – give it those conditions, and you’ll be rewarded with some of the most heavenly scented flowers in the plant kingdom.
