According to the Invasive Species Council of BC, this species: "Baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) is a herbaceous perennial plant that invades grazing land and out-competes native and introduced perennial grasses." Read more about it at: https://bcinvasives.ca/invasive-species/identify/invasive-plants/babys-breath. There are two species of baby's breath in British Columbia. These may be separated as follows: 1. Inflorescence glandular-hairy; calyx teeth 3-4 mm long.........G. scorzonerifolia 1. Inflorescence glabrous; calyx teeth 1.5-2.0 mm long...............G. paniculata

General:
Perennial herb from a thick root; stems usually much-branched, glabrous and more or less glaucous, 0.4-1.2 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, lanceolate to linear, 2-10 cm long, rarely over 2-9 mm wide, 1-nerved, unstalked; stipules lacking.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of numerous flowers in a large, diffusely branched, leafy-bracted, panicle-like cluster; flowers stalks glabrous; petals 5, white, oblanceolate, rounded to somewhat notched, stalklike at the base, slightly exceeding the calyces, about equalling the 10 stamens; sepals 5, glabrous, the white membrane below the notches contrasting strongly with the usually purplish back of the 5 lobes, united, forming a top-shaped tube 1.5-2 mm long.

Fruits:
Capsules egg-shaped, 2-3 mm long, 4-valved; seeds 2-5, blackish, 1.5-2 mm long, prominently cross-wrinkled and pimply in longitudinal, concentric rows.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Gypsophila paniculata var. paniculata