The Maltese Cross is a classical plant of Cottage Gardens, although it appeared pretty late in our gardens. The first to grow it in Europe was probably Konrad Gessner, a 16th century botanist from Zürich. We do not know how he got hold of it. Perhaps he bought seed of it from Venetian merchants, who controlled trade with the Ottoman Empire at that time.  The scientific name of the Maltese Cross refers to Chalcedon, a city in what is today Turkey (and where the 4th ecumenical council was held). Turkey however is not the native home of the Maltese Cross. It occurs in moist meadows from Southern Russia to China, and it was probably Russia from where the Turks got the plant.

In European gardens soon new colour varieties of the Maltese Cross showed up. Since it was such a pretty flower and so easy to grow, soon it was to be found in practically every garden. This enthusiasm for it did also lead to its decline. When at the turning of the 19th to the 20th century a multitude of new garden plants from all over the world became available, it was regarded as something common and old-fashioned. Who wanted to grow what everybody did grow? Luckily this attitude has changed during the last decades and a new generation rediscovered the old cottage garden plants. 

We sell a mix of the Maltese Cross that was propagated by seed. As a result we find new colour varieties with every batch we sow.  

Since the Maltese Cross is at home on moist meadows, it can be used perfectly well at the margin of a pond.