Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis), a biennial member of the cabbage family sends up purple or white flowering stems that can reach 4 feet in height and emit a sweet violet-like scent that mainly is only emitted at night—leading to its symbolism as being the ‘deceitful flower’.
Originally a Eurasian native, Dame’s Rocket is now spread and naturalized in many areas of the world, especially as it has been included in wildflower seed mixes for blends to ‘naturalize’ in a garden—sometimes displacing native plant populations. For this reason, even though it has a history of being a prized addition to gardens—especially during the Baroque period when a garden was a way of showing wealth and power—it is now illegal to grow (like in some states of the US).
Dame’s Rocket was a favorite of Marie Antoinette.
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy, perfumes and considered aphrodisiac. The Dame’s Rocket flower stalks make great cut flowers and can attract wildlife to the garden.
Dame’s Rocket also has a history of herbal use, mainly for preventing scurvy, but also considered a diuretic and diphoretic. As Dame’s Rocket is in the Cruciferae family, it is also rich in the healthful phytochemicals called glucosinolates, and recent investigations have sought to characterize their profiles in the wild.
Today, however, Dame’s Rocket is mainly grown as an ornamental and also sometimes enjoyed raw in salads, as the leaves are picked before flowering and add a cress-like flavor to salads. The flowers are also edible and can be included in salads, but do not mistake for Phlox, which has five petals (vs. four for Dame’s Rocket) and is not for eating.
#nightblooming #ethnobotany #cutflower #horticulture #edibleflower
*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.