Centranthus thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, making it perfect for gravel gardens, coastal planting, and dry borders. It tolerates poor, sandy, or chalky soils and will even grow in walls or cracks in paving.

Once established, it is drought-tolerant and requires little watering, though occasional deep watering in prolonged dry spells will encourage better flowering.

Deadhead regularly throughout the summer to prolong flowering. In autumn, cut the plant back down to the ground and compost the dead stems.

Self-seeding freely, it may need occasional thinning to prevent overcrowding, but this also allows it to naturalise beautifully in the right setting.