Rose campion

Rose campion: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Short-lived perennial (about 2–4 years), 60–80 cm tall and 40–50 cm wide, with branching stems above a leaf rosette.

Foliage

Silvery grey and densely felted. A rosette of oval leaves 10–15 cm long at the base; smaller, opposite leaves higher up.

Flower

Saucer-shaped flowers 2.5–3 cm across with five petals, vivid magenta, borne singly on long stalks, from June to August.

Seed

Sets plenty of seed and self-sows readily on bare soil and in gravel.

Roots

Fibrous; the felted rosette dislikes cold, wet winter conditions.

Flowering: June–August · Sowing: April–May · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Striking magenta flowers from June to August above silvery-grey leaves that decorate all season.
• Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
• Tolerates drought and poor soil: a rewarding plant for sunny borders and gravel.
• Self-seeds easily, so you keep the plant in the garden for years without effort.
• The silver-grey foliage goes with almost every colour.

Rose campion: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade the plant becomes leggy and floppy and flowers little.
• Poor to ordinary, well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to chalky. On rich soil it flops.
• Dry to normally moist: wet soil, especially in winter, causes rot.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, in a border or among gravel.
• Lovely in a gravel garden, a cottage garden or a sunny perennial border.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.7 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Grey-green foliage and purple spikes for the same sunny, dry spot.
• Catmint: Blue flowers and grey-green foliage make a cool contrast with the magenta.
• Baby’s breath: Clouds of tiny white flowers that loosen up the brightly coloured planting.
• Ornamental grasses: Light plumes that contrast softly with the vivid flowers.

Rose campion: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Choose a sunny spot and open up heavy soil with sand or grit. Do not use fresh manure.
3. Plant at the same depth as in the pot, with the rosette just above the soil.
4. Space plants 30–40 cm apart and water thoroughly once.
5. Use a thin layer of grit around the rosette rather than a thick mulch, so the felted leaves stay dry.

Care

Water

Rarely needed once established; water at the base only in prolonged drought.

Feeding

Little or none: on poor soil the plant stays compact and silvery.

Spent flowers

Cut them off to extend flowering. Leave a few seed heads in August if you want new plants.

Seedlings

Pull out surplus seedlings in spring or move them to another spot.

Tidiness

In March cut old stems and dead leaves back to the rosette.

Tip: Leave a few seed heads in August and pull out surplus seedlings in spring: that way you keep the plant in the garden for years. Do not feed, because on poor soil it stays compact and silvery.

Rose campion: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: In August cut off spent stems, and in March clear old stems and dead leaves.

How:

• Cut spent flower stems back to just above the rosette or a side shoot.
• Leave a few seed heads if you want the plant to self-sow.
• In March cut all dead stems and brown leaves back to the new rosette.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In April–May sow outdoors where it is to grow or in a seedbed: sow thinly and barely cover. Thin to 30–40 cm. The plants usually flower only the following year.

Moving self-sown seedlings

Move seedlings that appear under the plant to a sunny spot, with their root ball, in spring or autumn.

Rose campion: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed in Belgium.
• The silver-grey rosette stays in place over winter; make sure it is not standing in water.
• The biggest risk is cold, wet soil: choose a free-draining spot or add grit.

Diseases and pests

• Winter rot: The felted rosette turns brown and soft in wet soil. Move the plant to a free-draining spot or add grit.
• Leggy, floppy growth: Too much shade or soil that is too rich. Give more sun, mix grit into the soil and do not feed.
• Aphids: On young shoots and buds. Rinse them off with water or let ladybirds do the work.
• Disappearing: The plant is short-lived: after 3–4 years it fades away. Leave seed heads or sow again so there are successors.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Cut back old stems and dead leaves.
• April: Sow outdoors. Plant.
• May: Sow outdoors. Thin seedlings.
• June: Flowering begins.
• July: Full flower. Cut off spent flowers.
• August: Last flowers. Cut off spent stems; leave a few seed heads.
• September: Plant. Move self-sown seedlings.
• October: Plant.
• December: Rest. The silver rosette stays in place.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The plant used to be called Lychnis coronaria; the genus Lychnis was later largely merged into Silene.
• The species name coronaria means relating to crowns; the flowers were once used in garlands and wreaths.
• The dense, felted hair on the leaves limits evaporation, which explains why the plant tolerates drought well.