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Evening Stock
Matthiola longipetala
Easy · Beginner friendlyAbout Evening Stock
Night-scented Stock or Evening Stock is a Mediterranean annual grown for its intensely fragrant flowers that open at dusk to release a spicy-sweet clove perfume through summer evenings. The unassuming pale-lilac flowers are closed and rumpled during day but transform gardens into fragrance rooms at night. Growing 12 to 18 inches tall, a classic plant for evening fragrance gardens.
- Fragrant
- Pollinator-friendly
How to care for Evening Stock
Watering
- Springevery 5 days
- Summerevery 4 days
- Fallevery 7 days
- Winterevery 10 days
Soil · Well-draining
- Top dressingPine bark mulch10%
- Main mixPotting soil + perlite 2:170%
- DrainageLECA / gravel20%
Never skip the drainage layer — standing water is the top cause of root rot.
FERTILIZER
Balanced Feed 14-14-14
An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.
- Nitrogen · Leaves
- Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
- Potassium · Strength
- Springevery 30 days
- Fallevery 30 days
At a Glance
- NativeMediterranean, North America, Western Asia
- Height1–1.5 ft (0.3–0.5 m)
- Spread0.5–1 ft (0.2–0.3 m)
- Flower colorPurple, Pink, White
- Foliage colorGreen
- SoilLoamy, Well-drained
- LocationsYard · Balcony
Bloom time
BLOOM CYCLE
Peak bloom
Jun–Aug
Flowers open at dusk, fragrance strongest 9pm-midnight
Fragrance
STRONG FRAGRANCE
Intense sweet clove and honey fragrance, strongest at dusk and night.
Toxicity
No toxicity has been reported for this plant. Still, it is wise to keep pets from chewing on any houseplant.
Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.
DISTRIBUTION
- Native
- Introduced
- Mediterranean
- North America
- Western Asia
History
Matthiola longipetala, commonly called night-scented stock or evening stock, is a slender annual native to southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and western Asia. Linnaeus's student Philip Miller described the species in the 18th century. Its narrow unimpressive lilac, pink, or purple four-petaled flowers close during sunny hours but open at dusk to release an intense sweet clove and honey fragrance prized by Victorian and Edwardian gardeners, who planted it beneath bedroom windows for fragrant summer evenings.
The plant is often intermixed with annual stock Matthiola incana for both daytime color and nighttime scent. Seed mixes such as Starlight Scentsation remain popular in cottage gardens. Native to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, introduced to English gardens in the 1700s and to American colonial gardens by the 1800s. Night-scented stock attracts moths and thrives in cool-summer climates, struggling in hot humid conditions.
Symbolism & meaning
What It Symbolizes
Evening Stock can symbolize evening mystery — its rumpled, almost shabby flowers nearly invisible by day, then transforming after sunset with one of the most haunting fragrances in the cottage garden. As a flower of night perfume, it rewards the patient evening visitor far more than the daytime passerby. It is a plant whose true bloom belongs to dusk.
- Evening mystery — rumpled by day, fragrant by night
- Night perfume — transforms gardens after dark
Where the Name Comes From
'Matthiola' honors Italian physician Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-1577); 'longipetala' from Latin means long-petaled.
Uses & Fun Facts
- Night-scented stock releases powerful clove perfume after dusk
- Evening blooms attract night-flying moths and hawkmoths
Related plants
More Matthiola plants
Plants with similar care
Chinese AbeliaAbelia chinensis
Fragrant AbeliaAbelia mosanensis
Large-Flowered AbeliaAbelia uniflora
Glossy AbeliaAbelia x grandiflora
Frequently asked questions
How often should I water Evening Stock?
In summer, water about every 4 days; in winter, about every 10 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.
How much light does Evening Stock need?
Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.
Is Evening Stock toxic to cats or dogs?
No toxicity has been reported for this plant. Still, it is wise to keep pets from chewing on any houseplant. Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.
Is Evening Stock easy to grow?
Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.
When does Evening Stock bloom?
It typically blooms Jun–Aug in the Northern Hemisphere.
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