Japanese Stock: Exquisite Fragrance and Beauty

Stock (Matthiola incana) is native to the Mediterranean and has been popular in Europe for centuries. It made its way to Japan in the 17th century, where stock flowers have been elevated to an art form. Stock is an incredibly elegant edible plant with a sturdy stalk that makes it perfect as a cut flower. We can’t get enough of them, and we hope you can’t, either! Explore the history of this amazing flower and order at www.rareseeds.com.

You could think of stock flowers – Matthiola  incana – as cabbage’s glamorous cousin. That’s not   meant to knock cabbage, of course, but we’ve never  heard it said that cabbage could induce swooning. Stock had that reputation in 18th century England.  Botanist Pietro Mattioli, for whom the intensely  

Fragrant flower is named, thought it might even  have medicinal properties (as a love potion). Stock is native to the Mediterranean coast  and still grows wild along seaside cliffs   and stone walls. Its intoxicating  clove-like scent earned it the   nickname “gillyflower,” invoking the  French vernacular word for cloves.

Englishman John Gerard and other herbalists  obsessed over stock flowers in the 1500s,   so smitten were they by the flowers’  incredible fragrance and beauty. We get it! As a flower, stock has it all.  It’s no wonder that horticulturists of the   Renaissance and Baroque eras devoted themselves to  

Developing double blooming stock  varieties, in various colors. Thomas Jefferson introduced  stock to America in 1771,   when he had them imported to plant  in his gardens at Monticello. But perhaps nowhere more than Japan  has Matthiola incana found a fervent   and enduring fanbase. The flowers’  sturdy stalks, exquisite flowers,  

And branching habit make it a staple of ikebana,  the Japanese art of flower arranging. Stock flowers made their way  to Japan during the Edo period,   in the early 17th century. At the time, Dejima  Island, in the southern port of Nagasaki,  

Was the only place in Japan open to sea  trade, and only with the Portuguese. Market production of stock for cut flowers began  in the early 20th century, spreading from Chiba   Prefecture, southeast of Tokyo, to other coastal  areas with similar mild weather. Given its ideal  

Climate, Chiba has long been a center of stock  production and breeding. Murakami Seed Company,   from which we source several stunning  stock varieties like Vintage Brown,   developed several of their stocks  at a research center in Chiba. Stock is a biennial in USDA zones 7 to  10, and can be a short-lived perennial,  

But in many places, including  Japan, it’s grown as an annual. In mild climates, you can plant stock flowers  in the fall for spring blooms. Otherwise,   you can plant them in spring. They’re  easy to grow directly from seed,   or you can start them indoors 6 to  8 weeks before the last frost date.

The delicious blooms are often added to salads,   used as garnishes, or added to  recipes for a bit of spicy flavor. We invite you to fall in  love with Japanese stocks!