Ontario Wildflowers website

Dame's Rocket
Hesperis matronalis

Other common names: Dame's Violet

French names: Julienne des dames

Family: Mustard Family (Brassicaceae)

Group: Rockets

Distinctive features: Bright blue (usually) flowers in early summer.

Flowers: Summer;  White, Blue/Violet;  4 parts (petals)

Leaves: Alternate, Simple, Toothed

Height: 1 m (2-4 ft)

Habitat: Forests, Fields and Open Areas

Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 138    Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 84, 226    ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 217   

Native/Non-native: Non-native

Photographs: 67 photographs available, of which 9 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Beautiful blue flowers!

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

The flowers are all in the top 1/4 or 1/3 of the plant.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

A patch of Dame's Rocket growing by a raliway.

This is an invasive non-native plant. It's not quite as bad as Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), but still bears watching. If you allow this plant to grow in your garden, keep a close watch on it.
I have seen areas completely taken over by Dame's Rocket.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Sometiems the petals are streaked.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Flower buds.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

The distinctive leaves.

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

This is what's left of the plant by October. These are the empty seed pods.


Range map for Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)