Triticum aestivum

RHS Plant Profile

bread wheat

Other common names

common bread wheat, spring wheat, summer wheat

Synonyms

Triticum vulgare

Annual Biennial

A hardy annual utilised for centuries as a cereal crop. Greyish-green leaves are long and narrow. Flowers appear in summer, with seeds ripening in late summer and autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Poaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming, Columnar upright
Genus
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun on fertile, moist but well-drained soil

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Prairie planting
Wildflower meadow
Cut flowers

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to birds

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust