Silene

( sye - LEEN - ee )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus is filled with small annuals and perennials that are great for fronting borders or in rock gardens. They require full sun to partial shade and have varying water needs. Their bright flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden. Species have a wide global distribution, but are more concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere. Plant these flowers in cottage or informal gardens, in mixed beds or borders, and in container gardens. Take care when planting these flowers in the landscape, as some species may be toxic to humans and pets when consumed in large quantities.

Silene Species and Varietals

The genus Silene is a member of the plant family Caryophylaceae and includes around 900 distinctive species. The best growing zones for Silene vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Silene acaulis (Cushion Pink, Moss Campion, Compass Plant)
This species does well in zones A1-A3, 1-11, 14-16 and 18-21, and is a perennial. It is native to the Arctic regions as well as the mountains of North America and Eurasia. It forms a small, mossy mat 2 inches tall and 8 inches wide, and has green leaves. Flowers are reddish purple and bloom in early springtime. Great for planting in a gravelly but moist spot in the garden. This species needs regular water for best performance.

Silene baccifera (Berry Catchfly, Berry Campion)
These interesting plants are native to Europe, and have naturalized in temperate regions of Asia and northern Africa. Flowers are green and cup-shaped with recurved greenish-white petals.

Silene californica (California Indian Pink)
This perennial species grows well in zones 3, 6-9, and 14-24 and is native to California. It has a loose branching structure and reaches a foot tall and just as wide at maturity. Flowers are red and bloom in springtime. Leaves are greyish green and hairy. This species needs excellent drainage and is somewhat drought tolerant.

Silene chalcedonica (Lychnis chalcedonica) (Maltese Cross, Scarlet Lychnis, Flower of Bristol, Jerusalem Cross, Nonesuch)
These popular ornamental plants produce striking heads of bright red flowers. These perennials reach between 14 and 40 inches tall when in bloom, and have simple leaves. Flowers are held in dense clusters of between 10 and 50 blooms. Cultivars have flowers in orange, pink, or white.

Silene coeli-rosa (Lychnis coeli-rasa, Agrostemma coeli-rosa) (Viscaria)
This species of Silene is native to the Mediterranean and grows in all zones as an annual. It reaches a foot tall and half as wide, and has grey-green foliage and forms loose clusters of flowers. Bloom time depends on planting time (if sown in early spring, they will bloom in summer, and if sown in fall, they will bloom in winter and spring). Flowers come in blue, lavender, pink, or white and often have contrasting-colored eyes. This species makes a great cut flower, and needs regular water for best performance.

Silene coronaria (Lychnis coronaria) (Rose Campion, Dusty Miller, Mullein-Pink, Bloody William)
These perennial flowering plants reach about 30 inches tall when in bloom, and stretch to 18 inches wide. This species is native to Eurasia, and produces bright pink to magenta flowers in July. They are short-lived plants, but reseed freely in favorable locations. They are sometimes grown as biennials in the garden.

Silene gallica (Common Catchfly, Small-Flowered Catchfly, Windmill Pink)
These plants are native to Eurasia and North Africa, and have naturalized in many temperate areas of the globe as a common roadside weed. They are erect to semi-erect plants reaching 20 inches tall at maturity when in bloom. Flowers are white, red, pink or bicolored and have five petals.

Silene hookeri (Hooker's Silene, Hooker's Catchfly, Hooker's Indian Pink, Hooker's Glandular Campion)
Native to coastal and inland mountain ranges in Oregon and northwestern California, these plants prefer growing in woodland and forested landscapes in sandy and rocky soils. They are stout perennials reaching 8 inches tall when in bloom. Foliage is green.

Silene italica (Italian Catchfly, Italiensk Limurt, Italienisches Liemkraut)
These plants are native to southern Europe and some parts of Asia. It is an introduced plant in the United States and northern Europe. Individual plants reach between 16 and 32 inches tall and produce pink, white, or yellow flowers.

Silene laciniata (Friged Indian Pink, Cardinal Catchfly, Mexican Campion, Mexican-Pink, Campion)
Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, this species produces bright red flowers with fringed petals. Flowering stems are branching and sticky. Leaves are lance-shaped and are larger towards the base of the plant.

Silene noctiflora (Night-Flowering Catchfly, Nightflowering Silene, Clammy Cockle)
These plants, native to Eurasia, have spread to many areas of the globe, and are sometimes considered weeds. Foliage is sticky and green, and plants reach between 27 and 32 inches. Blooms can be white to pink. Plants produce a strong fragrance at night when blooms open.

Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly)
These plants are branching and woody, forming from a thick taproot, They reach between 10 and 31 inches tall when in bloom, and produce green foliage. Flowers are white or pinkish and form on drooping stalks.

Silene parishii (Parish's Catchfly)
Endemic to southern California, these plants prefer to grow in rocky, forested habitats in mountainous areas. Plants form perennial herbs and reach between 4 and 16 inches tall when in bloom. Sticky foliage is green, thick and leathery. Flowers are light yellow and petals are fringed.

Silene schafta (Moss Campion, Autumn Catchfly, Caucasian Campion)
This species of Silene is a perennial and grows best in zones 2-9, 14-16 and 18-21. It is native to western Asia and forms a small tuft of foliage 6-12 inches tall and a foot wide. Leaves are bright green and flowers are rose-purple and bloom from late summer through fall. This species needs moderate water.

Silene uniflora (Silene vulgaris maritima) (Sea Campion)
This perennial species of Silene grows well in zones 1-9 and 14-24, and is native to the northwestern coastal regions of Europe. It forms a grey-green cushion 6 inches tall and 8 inches wide, Summertime flowers are white, almost completely encased in a balloon-like calyx. Needs moderate water.

Silene verecunda (San Francisco Campion)
These extremely variable plants are typically perenial herbs that reach between 4 and 20 inches tall. Foliage and stems are hairy and sticky. Leaves are green and variable in size. Flowers are pink to white, encapsulated in a tubular calyx of fused, veined sepals. This species is native to California, Nevada, Utah, and Baja California. The species prefers to grow in coastal or mountainous environments in chaparral, woodland, and meadow landscapes.

Silene vulgaris (Bladder Campion, Maidenstears)
These wildflowers are native to Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa. They have widely naturalized in North America, as well. Individual plants reach about 3 feet tall, and produces green foliage and white flowers. Leaves of these plants can be eaten fresh or cooked, and are typically added to salads, boiled, or fried.

Caring for Silene

These flowering plants can be direct-sown into the garden soil in fall or spring (about three weeks before the last frost of the year passes). For best coverage, space plants between 6 and 18 inches apart. Choose a space in the garden that receives full sun to partial shade. They appreciate around 6 hours of sun each day, with some afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. Light requirements vary somewhat by species, for example Silene stellata prefers partial shade. Check growing requirements for your specific species before placing out in the garden. Ensure that soil is well-draining, moderately fertile, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Silene flowers vary in their water needs, from drought-tolerant species (like species native to the eastern United States) to those that prefer medium-moist substrate. No species handle wet soils well.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Deadhead spent flower inflorescences when blooms die back (unless you will be collecting seed later on for propagation). This will prevent self-seeding. Silene can be cut back (or even mowed) after the flowering season has passed for a tidier look. Annual species are typically pulled at the end of the growing season and replaced, and perennial plants are cut back in early springtime before new growth emerges.

Harvesting Silene Cut Flowers
Silene flowers are grown as members of cut flower gardens for their airy inflorescences of bright blooms. They produce beautiful branching stems, adding structure, height, and interest to arrangements. To harvest Silene cut flowers, venture out into the garden in the morning (once the dew has dried) a day after the plant has had a good watering. Flowering stems should be cut as soon as flowers begin to open. Cut the stem using sharp, clean shears or scissors at the base of the plant, and drop the cutting into a bucket of cool water. Silene flowers have a vase life of about a week.

Propagation

Silene, or Campion, can be propagated by division, cutting or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division or cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Campion, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Silene by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Silene by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
In early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.

Propagating Silene by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.

Silene seed pods remain on plants after flowers have faded, and are shaped like small cups.

Silene seeds are small and have rough exteriors. They are mature when they are dark brown to black in color.

Problems and Pests

Silene plants, although typically considered quite resilient, can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape: