FoliageIn the landscape
Data sources
Sweet William
Dianthus barbatus
Sweet William is a medium-growing perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-9, that matures to about 1-2 ft × 0.5-1 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with medium water needs in well-drained and moist soil. Expect pink, purple and red blooms in spring. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, stands up well to deer, heat and humidity, grows happily in containers.
- USDA zones
- 3-9
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water
- Medium
- Mature size
- 1-2 ft × 0.5-1 ft
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained, Moist
- Bloom color
- Pink, Purple, Red, Variegated, White
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Songbirds
- Tough against
- Deer, Heat, Humidity, Rabbits
- Toxic to
- People
- Native to
- Western Asia, eastern Europe, Korea
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
We score Sweet William’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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