Dame's Rocket, Hesperis matronalis L., Naturalized Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Invasive, Sweet Rocket, Dame's violet

(Rocket, Sweet Rocket; Dame's violet). An erect 2 - 3 foot tall biennial, found primarily in the Woodland Garden with some encroaching on the Upland Garden. The fragrant flowers (mostly noticeable in the evening) vary from white to pink and occur in a loose cluster at the top of the stem and in smaller clusters from the upper leaf axils. Flowers are 4-part, tubular with the petals spreading to about one inch wide. The tube of the flower is about one inch long and with fine hair. Leaves are toothed and alternate, the upper leaves touch but do not clasp the stem. Lower leaves may have a very short stalk. Stem and leaves have fine soft hair. The plant is an escapee from gardens and is quite a spreader, becoming invasive in the Garden as it has spread throughout the bog area and is making it's way up the back trail to the Upland Garden. It is a prohibited plant in several states. Like most plants that become invasive, it grows fast and blooms and seeds early before the less vigorous native plants can take hold. Dame's Rocket can have a prolonged bloom period, and like most Mustard Family flowers, they open from the bottom of the spike upward, while the long, thin seed pods form from the decaying lower flowers. The "Rocket" part of the name, according to Mrs. Grieve, (Ref. 7) comes from the language of flowers and "has been taken to represent deceit since the plant gives off a lovely perfume in the evening, but in the daytime has none." The genus name, Hesperis, is Greek for "evening" or "Vesper-flower", as that is when the fragrance is greatest, and matronalis is Latin and indicates the flower was a favorite of women- hence altogether - Dame's Rocket.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Dame's Rocket	Hesperis matronalis L.	Mustard (Brassicaceae)	Woodland and Upland	Spring to Early Summer
Other names and notes	(Rocket, Sweet Rocket; Dame's violet). An erect 2 - 3 foot tall biennial, found primarily in the Woodland Garden with some encroaching on the Upland Garden. The fragrant flowers (mostly noticeable in the evening) vary from white to pink and occur in a loose cluster at the top of the stem and in smaller clusters from the upper leaf axils. Flowers are 4-part, tubular with the petals spreading to about one inch wide. The tube of the flower is about one inch long and with fine hair. Leaves are toothed and alternate, the upper leaves touch but do not clasp the stem. Lower leaves may have a very short stalk. Stem and leaves have fine soft hair. The plant is an escapee from gardens and is quite a spreader, becoming invasive in the Garden as it has spread throughout the bog area and is making it's way up the back trail to the Upland Garden. It is a prohibited plant in several states. Like most plants that become invasive, it grows fast and blooms and seeds early before the less vigorous native plants can take hold. Dame's Rocket can have a prolonged bloom period, and like most Mustard Family flowers, they open from the bottom of the spike upward, while the long, thin seed pods form from the decaying lower flowers. The "Rocket" part of the name, according to Mrs. Grieve, (Ref. 7) comes from the language of flowers and "has been taken to represent deceit since the plant gives off a lovely perfume in the evening, but in the daytime has none." The genus name, Hesperis, is Greek for "evening" or "Vesper-flower", as that is when the fragrance is greatest, and matronalis is Latin and indicates the flower was a favorite of women- hence altogether - Dame's Rocket.