Top 12 Best Alternatives To Toxic And Invasive Baby's Breath For Your Garden

Baby's breath (Gypsophila paniculata) is an iconic plant, with fluffy white clusters of flowers that fit well in gardens and arrangements alike. Unfortunately, despite its eye-catching, full appearance that makes it a great filler flower, baby's breath does have some downsides: including a medium toxicity status, causing problems like irritation and even respiratory symptoms after handling. This plant has also earned itself a place on the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. As an overall hardy plant that can grow densely even in poor soils thanks to its deep roots, it can disrupt ecosystems in many regions in the United States, meaning you may want to think twice before adding baby's breath to your garden.

On the bright side, if you're in love with baby's breath's white cluster flowers or its ability to spread and fill an area with delicate blooms, there are options available. And, since these are native to the many areas in the United States, you can enjoy stunning blooms while also creating a pollinator-friendly garden. These plants also have a low toxic or non-toxic status, making them a safer choice for gardens with curious children and pets — although ingestion should still be avoided, as with all non-edible flowers.

Axillary goldenrod (Solidago caesia) is a native wildflower that can grow up to 3 feet tall. While its bright yellow coloring may not look the same as baby's breath, this flower does sport similar clusters of flowers, helping recreate a full appearance in your garden. It's also a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8, meaning you can enjoy this eye-catching flower year after year. Axillary goldenrod isn't just a visually appealing, however; it's also beneficial, with this late summer blooming flower serving as a popular food source for pollinators like birds, butterflies, and bees.

Another perennial wildflower, blunt mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) has delicate white flowers like baby's breath, although they grow dense flower heads rather than widespread clusters. Blunt mountain mint shares the same hardiness as axillary goldenrod, zones 4 to 8, and grows best in full sun conditions. It's also quite fragrant, and when it blooms during the latter months of summer, it adds life to your garden thanks to the many pollinators it attracts.

New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is a perennial wildflower that grows in zones 5 through 8. You can find it growing naturally throughout much of the eastern United States, from New York down to Florida. However, you can also buy seeds to grow directly in your yard, helping add a splash of color to your garden with its showy purple flowers. Like baby's breath, ironweed is has a cyme flowering arrangement, meaning you can enjoy those same branched clusters of flowers, although in a different color.

Falling between baby's breath and daisies in terms of appearance, heath asters (Symphyotrichum ericoides) can be a popular non-toxic alternative to baby's breath in your garden. These native wildflowers can grow to be as tall as 3 feet, and, growing as a perennial in zones 3 through 10, they can return year after year. One of the best parts of adding this plant to your garden in place of baby's breath is that it's a low maintenance flowering plant and can attract a variety of helpful wildlife.

Although the name may sound silly at first, foam is a great description for how this plant looks. Foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) grow into spikes, each one covered with a layer of white flowers. Each little flower is also shaped like a star, helping individual blooms stand out for a plant that's overall eye-catching. Foamflowers are hardy to zones 3 through 8, and unlike many other baby's breath alternatives, they do well in low-light environments, whether that's deep shade or dappled sunlight.

The queen of the meadow flower (Eutrochium maculatum) goes by many different names, including variations of Joe Pye weed and spotted trumpet weed. Regardless of name, one thing is true: this brightly colored flower is a showstopper. It sports panicles filled with light pink and purple flowers, which are both visually appealing and fragrant. With each panicle consisting of several small flowers, their appearance resembles that other baby's breath, helping invoke a similar aesthetic in your garden. These flowers are also a fan-favorite among butterflies, and they're hardy in zones 3 through 8.

California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) strays away from stalks, instead growing as a small shrub adorned in clusters of light flowers. If you're looking to add this plant to your garden, you'll be happy to know it's relatively low-maintenance and easy to grow. Native to the western and southwestern United States, it's also hardy in zones 7 through 11. As for benefits, California buckwheat is resistant to deer while still attracting beneficial pollinators to your yard.

One reason that baby's breath is are so popular is for its use in floral bouquets. Fresh or dried, these little white flowers fill in the gaps in arrangements while still providing color and dimension. Fortunately, however, when you're looking for the best baby's breath flower alternatives to plant in your garden, there's an option for the hobby florists as well: pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). These white flowers do well as filler flowers in arrangements, and they're easy enough to grow yourself. Like many other perennial wildflowers on our list, they're hardy in zones 3 through 8.

At a glance, wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) closely resembles baby's breath. It showcases stalks with small white flowers, growing up to 3 feet tall. As a beneficial garden plant, adding this flower to your yard can attract a variety of wildlife. Pollinators flock to its flowers for nectar, while other insects may also rely on the pollen and other portions of the plant for food. Although you may only be able to enjoy its bloom in June through September, wild quinine is a perennial and thrives in zones 4 through 8.

California buckwheat isn't the only shrub you can add to your garden in place of baby's breath. Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) is in the rose family, and it grows in shrubs that can reach over 6 feet tall. Its flowers grow in cone-shape spikes, with their petals varying from white to light pink. While they may not have the same spread as the flowers on baby's breath, the flowers on white meadowsweet shrubs have a sweet, nutty smell. Meadowsweet needs partial shade to full sun, and it grows in zones 3 through 7.

Related to blunt mountain mint, narrowleaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) is another baby's breath alternative for your yard. With a minty scent and pale-colored flower clusters, they can elevate your outdoor space all while attracting bees and butterflies. Various types of wildlife also eat other parts of this plant, including the leaves and seed. This includes deer, however, so keep this in mind before running to the nursery in search of this mint. As far as USDA Zones, narrowleaf mountain mint is hardy in zones 4 through 8.

When thinking about baby's breath alternatives, edible herbs may not be the first choice that comes to mind. This is especially true since some species of oregano (Origanum spp.) can grow invasively. However, when choosing an ornamental or non-aggressive option, you can enjoy the small flowers that bloom from oregano. These vary from white to pink or purple and appear in small spikes or panicles. You can even grow oregano from cuttings, and it can attract pollinators while being resistant to deer, rabbits, and many insects.