Reseda odorata

RHS Plant Profile
garden mignonette

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garden mignonette RHS
garden mignonette Dorling Kindersley 2003

Other common names

bastard rocket, little darling, love flower, mignonette, sweet reseda, sweet-scented reseda

Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial

An upright annual with simple or lobed leaves and conical clusters of very fragrant, pale yellow flowers with reddish stamens, in summer and early autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–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)
H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Resedaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Genus
Reseda can be annuals or perennials, with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and small, star-shaped flowers in dense racemes in summer and autumn
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. The illustration here shows R. odorata Crown mixture

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in-situ in spring or autumn, protect autumn sown seeds from frost with a cloche

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Garden edging

Pruning

Deadhead to prolong flowering; cut back after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free