Manchurian baby's breath, Pink baby's breath
Gypsophila oldhamiana
Family: Caryophyllaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows up to 60-100 cm tall. It has a stout rootstock. The leaves are greyish-blue. The leaves are opposite and have short leaf stalks. They are broadly sword shaped and 3-7 cm long by 4-15 mm wide. There are many small flowers that are lilac-pink. These occur at the ends of the branches.
It is used in medicine. It is cultivated as an ornamental. There are about 100 Gypsophila species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in scrub, mountain slope grasslands, rocks, maritime sands from sea level to 2000 m. altitude in China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria
How it is used for food
The young shoots are used as a vegetable.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Chang rui shi tou hua