Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata)

Description

Baby’s breath is a perennial herb growing up to 3 feet tall with a thick, deep, tap root and branched stems. Its narrow, opposite leaves, with a prominent mid-vein, grow 1 to 4 in long. Plants typically flower the third year; small (1/4 in across) white or pink flowers form on diffusely branched clusters.

Look-alikes

From afar, false baby’s breath (Galium mollugo), also introduced, is similar in appearance. The leaves on Gallium grow in whorls of 6 or 8, unlike the opposite leaves of Gypsophila paniculata; and the flowers have four white petals instead of the five that are typical of baby’s breath.

Impacts & Habitat

Native to Europe and Asia, baby’s breath, it is used in garden wildflower mixes and extensively in the floral industry. The primary means of reproduction is by seeds, with most dropping close to the plant and some further dispersed by wind or water. Now widespread across the northern U.S. and Canada, baby’s breath grows in a variety of habitats and is often found in vacant lots, ditches, pastures, farmland, and along roads, where it is generally not a problem.

The coarse, sandy soil of the Great Lakes sand dunes provides a good habitat for baby’s breath. This is troublesome because its long tap root can stabilize naturally shifting sand dunes to the point of significantly changing the open dune habitat that certain native plants need, as is the case with the federally threatened dune thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in Michigan. It is currently invading Michigan’s east shore of Lake Michigan, but has not yet been found on Wisconsin’s west shore of the lake.

Control

Baby’s breath can be effectively controlled by manual removal. To ensure that the plant does not re-sprout, the root needs to be severed below the caudex, the point where the root becomes the stem (10 cm deep is usually sufficient). All parts of the plant should be removed from the site and properly disposed of. Mowing will reduce further spread, but will not control existing plants. Controlled burning and application of the herbicide picloram have also been effective.

Additional Information (Links exit DNR)

UW-Madison Herbarium
USDA
The Nature Conservancy, Recommended Removal Methods for Baby’s Breath [PDF]
Government of Saskatchewan, Integrated Pest Management, Weed Identification
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, British Columbia