Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Common stock.
Matthiola incana
Pronounced mat-tee-OH-luh in-KAY-nuh
Also known as Brompton stock, Hoary Stock, Tenweeks stock, common stock, gilliflower, gilly-flower, gillyflower, ten-week stock
Common stock is a lovely, fragrant biennial or short lived perennial often grown as an annual. It produces dense spikes of beautiful, clove scented flowers in a variety of colors. These plants thrive in cooler weather and are perfect for adding charm to spring gardens.
At a glance
- Care level
- Moderate
- Plant type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Indoor light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 60 to 80 cm tall
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Hardiness
- USDA 7 to 10
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
Care
Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged to prevent root rot. Deadhead spent flower spikes to encourage a longer blooming period. Watch for aphids and cabbage loopers that may enjoy the foliage as much as you do.
- Watering
- Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
- Feeding
- Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks during the active growing season.
- Pruning
- Remove faded flower stalks to promote continued blooming.
- Repotting
- Repot annually if grown in containers to refresh the soil.
- Soil
- Well draining, fertile, loamy soil
- Soil pH
- Neutral to slightly alkaline
- Temperature
- -5 to 25°C
- Humidity
- 40 to 60%
- Drought tolerance
- Moderate
- Lifespan
- Short-lived perennial, often grown as an annual.
- Fragrance
- Strong
- Deer and rabbits
- Moderate
Signs it needs repotting
- Roots growing out of the drainage holes
- Water running straight through the pot without soaking in
Safety
- People
- This plant is generally considered non-toxic to humans.
- Children
- The plant is not considered a significant risk to children, but ingestion of any garden plant should be discouraged.
- Contact allergens
- Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
- Airborne allergens
- The strong fragrance can trigger allergic reactions or headaches in those sensitive to scents.
- Edibility
- While the flowers are technically edible, they are often treated with pesticides in nurseries and should not be consumed.
How to identify it
- Grey green lance shaped leaves
- Dense spikes of fragrant flowers
- Velvety texture on foliage
- Sturdy upright growth habit
- Height
- 0.3 to 0.8m
- Spread
- 0.2 to 0.45m
- Leaves
- gray-green, semi-evergreen
- Flowers
- white, pink, purple, lavender, red, 2 to 4cm
Problems to watch for
- AphidsCommon
- Downy MildewCommon
- BoltingUncommon
- Flea BeetlesUncommon
- Root RotUncommon
- Slugs and SnailsUncommon
Check your common stock from a photo
Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.
Growing it
- Propagation
- seed
- When to plant
- spring, fall
- Overwintering
- In colder regions, provide a thick layer of mulch around the base to protect the roots from deep freezes. If grown in pots, move them to a sheltered, unheated area like a garage.
- In containers
- Stocks grow very well in containers, provided the pot has excellent drainage and is at least 20 cm deep.
Seed
- Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost.
- Lightly cover seeds with fine soil as they need some light to germinate.
- Keep the soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
- Transplant outdoors once the danger of frost has passed.
Pair stocks with low-growing annuals to hide their lower stems as they age.
Grows well with
- Pansy — They share similar cool-season growing requirements.
- Sweet Alyssum — This low-growing companion provides a nice contrast to the upright stock.
Similar species
- Wallflower — Both are fragrant, cool-season favorites with similar growth habits.
Science
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Genus
- Matthiola
- Order
- Brassicales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Native range
- Mediterranean region
- Conservation
- This species is not of conservation concern.
It grows naturally on rocky coastal cliffs where it tolerates salt spray and well-drained soils.
- Value to wildlife
- nectar source
- Pollinators
- bees, butterflies, moths
- Uses
- cut flowers, container gardening, fragrant borders
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 4/9
- Light
- 7/9
- Soil reaction
- 6/9
- Temperature
- 5/9
- Moisture
- 5/9
- Nutrients
- 6/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Why are my stocks not blooming?
- They often require cooler temperatures to initiate flower buds.
- Can I grow these in pots?
- Yes, they thrive in containers with well-draining soil.
Where the name comes from
The genus honors the Italian physician and botanist Pietro Andrea Mattioli, while the species name incana refers to the gray, hoary appearance of the leaves.
Good to know
- Stocks have been cultivated for centuries for their spicy scent.
- The name stock refers to the woody, stem-like base of the plant.
- They are a classic choice for cottage-style gardens.
Keep your common stock growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.