# Stock (*Matthiola incana*)

Stock flowers are known for their sweet fragrance and come in beautiful colors! They are perfect for adding charm to any garden.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens and flower beds
- **Also known as:** Cheiranthus, Gillyflower

![Stock](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424723/objects/4981.jpg)

## Appearance

The Stock has tall, sturdy stems topped with dense spikes of velvety flowers. Its blooms come in shades of purple, pink, white, and cream, often with a unique clove-like fragrance, making it a garden standout.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Matthiola

## Interesting facts

- Its sturdy stem inspired its common name, 'Stock'!
- Its sweet, spicy scent is often compared to a delicious spice: cloves!
- Some types have super fluffy "double" flowers without any seeds!
- Stock flowers have been adored in gardens for hundreds of years!

## Special abilities

- **Scent Signal:** Stock flowers release a sweet, spicy fragrance to attract bees and butterflies, ensuring their pollen gets spread far and wide.
- **Cool Bloomer:** Some Stock varieties can start blooming in cooler weather, giving gardens early spring color before many other plants wake up.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-80 cm
- **Spread:** 20-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring, Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracted to its nectar and strong scent
- **Pollinates:** Painted Lady Butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar, helping spread pollen
- **Eats:** Green Peach Aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — Feeds on plant sap, can harm leaves
- **Eats:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Munching on young leaves and shoots

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Stock?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Stock?

30-80 cm

### How wide does Stock spread?

20-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Stock?

2-3 cm

### When does Stock bloom?

Spring, Summer

### Is Stock edible?

No

### Is Stock toxic?

Mild

### What is Stock's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Little Rock Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/little-rock-zoo) — Arkansas, US · Zoo
- [Carlsbad State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carlsbad-state-beach) — California, US · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Stock: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stock)