Sweet Williams

October 2012

I planted a lot of Sweet William seeds in pots in late spring and kept them in part shade during the summer due to the heat, so they didn’t grow very much. They are now around 4” high and I am wondering if they would survive the winter if I planted them in the ground, or should I keep the pots in an enclosed porch – without heating – until the spring?

I would plant them now. Sweet Williams are actually Dianthus barbatus which is usually grown as biennial — growing foliage in the first season and blooming, setting seeds and dying the next. For some gardeners, it lasts a few extra seasons, but it is not a long lived plant. It should overwinter just fine—and will probably stay evergreen, blooming early next spring. Hot weather tends to take its toll on many dianthus, but this one is fragrant and quite showy when in bloom.

All links to external sites open in a new window. You may return to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture web site by closing this window when you are finished. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information, or the accessibility for people with disabilities listed at any external site.

Links to commercial sites are provided for information and convenience only. Inclusion of sites does not imply University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's approval of their product or service to the exclusion of others that may be similar, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the products or service offered.

The mention of any commercial product in this web site does not imply its endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture over other products not named, nor does the omission imply that they are not satisfactory.