How to grow wallflowers – for a low maintenance and long-lasting hero flower in the spring and summer garden

Wallflowers are striking perennials that bring a burst of gorgeous color and scent to the spring garden. Also known as Erysimum, they are nectar rich and will entice plenty of pollinators to your plot. If you're looking for a hardy flowering plant that will slot beautifully into any planting design make wallflowers your go-to.

There are more than 150 species of wallflower, including popular garden plants and wild forms. The Western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum, also known as the sanddune wallflower or prairie rocket) is native to North America. If you live in a warm climate wallflowers can be grown as a perennial or biennial, and bloom for many months. In cooler climates, they are mostly grown as annuals.

We have everything you need to know about growing wallflowers, from choosing the right variety to enhance the rest of your planting to making sure your plants stay looking good. So, whether you’re looking for the best perennials or seeking a solid choice for pollinator-friendly gardening, our guide has all the information you need on how to grow wallflowers.

How to grow wallflowers

Wallflowers are one of the best spring flowering plants for the garden. They add color and fragrance to flowerbeds and borders, and work well mixed in with spring bulbs. They thrive in containers too if you're looking spring planter ideas for early season wow.

Growing habits of wallflower plants

Wallflowers are super easy to grow and need little more than a sunny spot and some well-drained soil to thrive. They are not fussy about soil types and will even do well in quite average soil.

Varieties of wallflowers can be annual, biennial or perennial, but it's worth remembering that it's best to opt for biennials if you want a strongly scented variety. Wallflowers are hardy in USDA zones 4–9. However, always check the specific cultivar you want to grow as recommendations can vary slightly.

Wallflowers are available in every color you desire including bold shades of red, orange, pink and purple, as well as more subtle tones like pale yellow, mauve and cream. Enjoy their amazing scent throughout a long flowering period from spring to summer. If you live in a mild climate the growing season can stretch right into fall.

We asked plant expert Katie Dubow, President of Garden Media Group, for her thoughts on how to grow wallflowers successfully.

Katie Dubow

Katie Dubow is the President of Garden Media Group, a leading public relations firm in the home and garden industry, and the driving force behind the annual Garden Trends Report. A seasoned communicator, she travels the globe to research and present emerging garden trends, sharing her expertise with audiences worldwide. Katie is also a frequent guest on QVC, bringing her passion for gardening and her deep industry knowledge to a broad audience. She lives in West Chester, PA, where she cultivates her own garden alongside her family.

Care guide for wallflowers

Soil: 'Wallflowers thrive in well-draining, moderately fertile soil,' says Katie. 'A slightly alkaline mix is ideal, so if your soil is too acidic, adding a little bit of lime can be beneficial.' Wallflowers can grow in alkaline soils with a pH 7.0 to 9.0. They don't like being planted in wet or poorly draining soil, instead preferring a grittier, sandy mix.

Light: Choose a site that receives full sun to partial shade, says Katie. While they can tolerate part shade wallflowers will do best planted in a bright, sunny location.

Watering: 'While wallflowers are relatively drought tolerant once established, they appreciate regular watering during germination and early growth,' says Katie. 'Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot. Good drainage is key.' Once wallflowers are established it's fine to cut back on watering.

Fertilizing: Wallflowers do not need fertilization to thrive. Just make sure the soil is enriched when you plant them. If you want to give your soil a boost, consider annually mulching your borders to improve soil health, using something like this pine bark mulch, available from Walmart.

Pruning: 'Minimal pruning is required,' says Katie. 'However, deadheading spent blooms promotes extended flowering and keeps your wallflower plants healthy.' Pinch back faded blooms regularly to improve the overall look of your plants. Once the plants have finished blooming at the end of the season, prune the stems back to keep things neat.

Propagating: 'Established clumps can sometimes be divided in early spring to rejuvenate the plant and expand your garden,' says Katie. Take a cutting with a couple of leaf nodes, remove all flowers and buds, keeping two or three leaves only. Plant cuttings in 4-inch pots filled with potting mix. Water well and keep soil moist until new growth appears.

Pests and diseases: 'Wallflowers are usually pest-resistant,' says Katie. 'On rare occasions, aphids may appear. A strong spray of water or organic insecticidal soap can manage these. Powdery mildew can occur in damp or overcrowded conditions. Ensuring proper spacing and air circulation, along with watering at the base rather than overhead, can help mitigate this issue.'

FAQs

What should I grow alongside wallflowers?

For a natural aesthetic, consider growing wallflowers alongside masses of spring bulbs for a colorful display early in the season. They work especially well mixed with daffodils and tulips, as all these plants are a similar height. This style of planting design works well in both borders and containers.

Long-flowering varieties such as ‘Bowles Mauve’ and 'Winter Orchid' segue from spring into summer, providing fabulous color in the flowerbed for most of the year. This color palette of mauve and pinky-red looks good with other perennial plants in the same colors such as purple Salvia nemorosa and Echinacea purpurea (coneflower), and pink and mauve varieties of Achillea millefolium (yarrow). It's a lovely idea to mix in some summer bulbs too.

A key part of how to grow wallflowers successfully is planting them in blocks and drifts for maximum impact, rather than in small groups.

What are the best types of wallflowers to grow?

'While many people favor the classic Erysimum cheiri for its vibrant, fragrant blooms and long flowering period, my personal favorite is Sunstrong™ Erysimum linifolium, prized for its deep, rich hues and prolific bloom period,' says Katie. 'It’s a newer dwarf variety that works well in mixed borders or container gardens. I planted 'Sunstrong' in a rocky, well-drained border, and despite the challenging conditions the blooms lasted all summer long.'

Another popular choice is ‘Bowles’s Mauve’, a perennial wallflower that flowers for months on end. It's a great choice to attract pollinators in early spring too when there aren't many other blooms around. The lovely purple flowers just keep coming, and it will be a prized variety in any flowerbed all summer. It's also easy to propagate by cuttings in late summer. Find 'Bowles Me Away' wallflowers here at Nature Hills.

You could also try 'Winter Orchid’, a perennial wallflower with blooms that feature changing shades of red, purple and orange as they age. In a sheltered, sunny spot this variety will flower nearly all year round, so it's a wallflower variety to cherish year after year.

Can you grow wallflowers from seed?

Wallflowers can easily be grown from seed. The best time to do this is in the fall. Alternatively you can also sow wallflower seeds in early spring for a quicker turnaround. Luckily wallflowers are super easy to grow from seed so you can add a huge number of plants to the garden each year.

'Scatter seeds lightly over a well-prepared seedbed and barely cover with soil,' says Katie. 'A thin layer is enough, as they need light to germinate. Use a cold frame or provide natural winter chilling to help mimic the conditions these plants love, and this will lead to more flowers in spring.'

Find Siberian wallflower seeds here at Walmart. Considered a perennial in warmer regions and an annual in colder planting zones, Siberian wallflowers offer masses of bright, dense yellow flowers, and bloom from April to June.

Now you know how to grow wallflowers find out how to add more color to the spring and summer garden with ideas for the longest flowering perennials and the easiest annuals to grow in spring. Easy to grow and easy to care for, these are all flowers that will transform your outdoor space with the minimum of effort.