Matthiola incana
‘Kathleen’s Special’

Of unknown origin, I found this stock blooming on the edge of the Mendocino Coast last November. It hung to a sheer cliff, a foot below the bluff, with the ocean crashing below. At first glance, I thought it was an Echium, the stem nearly a 1/2” thick & a soft, gray rosette of leaves. But the deep purple, single flower spike looked like a garden stock. Risking the lean over the bluff to smell it, I was rewarded by that characteristic rich, spicy fragrance. Grows 1.5’ x 1.5’ & tolerates salt wind, drought, steep slopes & rocky or sandy soil.

USDA zones 4-10