Opera Francesca Matthiola

Opera Francesca is an upright Matthiola incana stock selection with a listed height of 32 inches. PanAmerican Seed places it in the greenhouse-grown Opera series and recommends it for autumn through late-spring flowering. ## Flowering and form The exact developer page describes selectable stock, for which about half the plants produce double flowers; growers can select out single-flowered plants when young. It lists early spring, spring, late spring, autumn, and winter as the flowering seasons and identifies sun exposure. Year-round production is possible only under controlled greenhouse conditions with cool summer temperatures, so those production windows should not be treated as a universal outdoor bloom calendar. ## Garden growing Matthiola incana is a cool-season plant. North Carolina State Extension recommends full sun and average to humusy, consistently moist, well-drained soil; the species tends to decline when temperatures rise above 80°F. Outdoor timing and persistence therefore depend on local climate, even when a greenhouse schedule can be extended. Sources: [PanAmerican Seed: Opera Francesca](https://www.panamseed.com/Products/074602191001953/matthiola-opera-francesca/); [North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Matthiola incana](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/matthiola-incana/). ## Maintenance Choose a sunny, freely draining site and keep soil evenly moist during active growth. In warm climates, schedule planting for cooler weather and expect the display to decline as heat increases.