Cloth of Gold Wallflower Seedlings

Erysimum cheiri: Cloth of Gold Wallflower Plants

Cloth of Gold Wallflowers are hardy plants that, when planted in groups provide a splash of golden sunshine all through the months that link spring bulbs with summer flowers. Heavily scented, wallflowers are loved by pollinating insects making them a must for any gardener with an eye on wildlife. 
Browse our range of ready to plant wallflower seedlings.

Please Note: Our P9 (9cm square) pots each contain approximately 20 seedlings. These are ready to be planted out on delivery. When removed from the pot the root ball should be gently teased into between four and eight clumps of not less than two seedlings each which you can then plant directly into a border or outdoor container. 

Cloth of Gold is a short-lived perennial that is best treated as a biennial (sown one year and flowers the next). It will live longer, but we strongly recommend you dig up and compost your plants when they have finished flowering next year.

Wallflowers complement tulips wonderfully well and, joyously, they can be planted at the same time. In particular, Cloth of Gold will go very well with one of the darker tulips such as Negrita or Queen of Night for a classic "Black"/gold contrast. For something more subtle, try it with "green" tulips such as Spring Green for a lighter, airier feel.

Features:

• Type: Hardy Biennial
• Colour:
• Scented: Strong
• Height: 35-45 cms
• Delivery/Planting: October - November
• Flowering: March - July
• Plant Spacing: 30 cms

Did You Know? 

Did you know that any wallflower with "Bedder" in its name is almost certainly a product of a Victorian passion for producing new wallflower varieties? Like a smaller scale version of the Victorian fern craze, new wallflower hybrids sold for up to 15 gold backed shillings (75p) per packet of seeds. That is over £70 in currency today.

Erysimum cheiri used to be known as Cheiranthus.

Have a look at our video on planting wallflowers and tulips together. Plant your tulips deep if you are not going to lift them after flowering. We recommend covering them with 10 cms (4") of soil. This has two benefits. First, you can plant wallflowers over the top of them next year without fear of digging them up/damaging them. Second, deep planting helps tulips concentrate on building up their strength for flowering the following season.

Plant Cloth of Gold in early winter in well-drained soil in full sun. Wallflowers are members of the cabbage family, Brassica, and so prefer alkaline soil. They are called Wallflowers because they grow very happily in walls or in the limey grit at the foot of an old wall where the pointing and mortar have disintegrated. If your soil is acidic then add horticultural lime in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
They are greedy plants and appreciate well-rotted garden compost dug into the planting area. They are extremely hardy and overwinter happily in their final flowering positions. If you have plug plants, you could pot them up (we suggest 9cm pots), overwinter them outdoors, and then plant into containers in early spring. If you already have seedlings in 9cm pots they can be potted straight into their planting location.

Always water well after planting and do not let them dry out (especially important in containers). 

They grow away fast as the days begin to lengthen in January / February and then will flower continuously from March well into summer provided they are dead-headed. So moisture during dry spells is important as is full sun because they Hate shade. Try to position them where there be direct sun for at least 6 hours a day in summer.

As you are buying seedlings, you can plant your wallflowers into their final flowering positions immediately. Space your plants about 30 cms apart and (in a bed) plant them in drifts. The show is far more impressive when they are massed.

Depending on location, soil and variety, wallflowers may need support. We suggest you do this next year as in sheltered spots it should not be necessary at all.

As flowers develop cut them or dead head when they are over and your wallflowers will carry on flowering well into July. A good specimen can produce a couple of dozen flower heads in a season.

To maintain flower quality and size, you can use a high potash and phosphate fertiliser every fortnight throughout summer. Home-made comfrey tea is perfect or one of the specialised tomato fertilisers will also do very well.

Do not be tempted to keep wallflowers into another year. The older they get, the greater the risk of introducing club-root. They also get leggy and lose their appeal by their second spring, so compost them at the end of July or the beginning of August.