Stock (Matthiola) Reality: The 10-Week Heartbreak Annual

Stock (Matthiola incana) = "Garden Stock" or "Ten-Week Stock"—the name reveals its lifespan.

Hard Truths

• Annual (not perennial)
• Blooms 3 weeks in cool weather
• Deadheading extends slightly
• Rarely self-sows reliably
• Height: 12-18 inches
• No cuttings—grown from seed only

Better Alternatives

For that spicy fragrance, plant perennial Dianthus. Many share the clove scent and return yearly. Stock is a "love 'em and leave 'em" plant—enjoy intensely, then replace.

Virginia Stock (Malcolmia maritima)

Different genus. Lower, spreading, self-sows more readily. Also annual.