After a summertime of drought , uttermost heat , and marauding insect and deer , you ’re probably on the lookout for a plant that can withstand all these assaults . But perhaps you were thinking that there ’s no such plant . In fact , there is : rose silene . It withstands red-hot , dry summers , has a farsighted time of year of bloom , and best all all , is shunned by cervid and other four - legged nibbler . Oh , and it is not bothered by pests or diseases , is soft to grow , and control up nicely as a baseball swing blossom .
Rose silene ( ( Lychnis coronariaorSilene coronaria ) has been classified by some expert as a dead - lived perennial and by others as a biennial , but since it reseed like crazy , it will function like a perennial in your garden . It has a basal rosette , which looks much like lambs ear ( Stachys ) , out of which grow multiple marvellous stems ( 2 - 3 foot . ) topped by diminished , brilliant magenta flowers . It starts bloom in belated May in this sphere , and continues through July , and into August . This plant , a indigen of Europe , has been popular in gardens for at least 2,000 years , and has been in cultivation in the United States since colonial multiplication . In late decades , however , it has become a low density in nurseries and garden centerfield , though the seeds are pronto uncommitted . plain , the fact that it does n’t blossom until its 2d twelvemonth renders it less appealing to the nursery business deal .
But what about the name ? Unfortunately , the species name is an unpleasant monitor of the current coronavirus pandemic . Horticulturally speaking , the term “ coronaria ” refer to its use in making garlands , perhaps for star . And yes , the mutual namecampion , refers to acrobatic champions . The genus namelychniscomes from the Greek name for lamp , and is believe to bring up to the use of the folio as lamp wicks .
The brightness of the flowers is not universally appealing , and some nurseryman feel that the blossom do not playact well with others . Here ’s how Phillips and Burrell put it : “ The campions have strongly colored flowers that can be unmanageable to incoporate into the garden . ” And Allan Armitage refers to the flowers of the species as “ jazzy , ” though recommends the hybrid , including ‘ Abbotsford Rose ’ . All three are more fond of the white - bloom reading — ‘ Alba ’ — and the bicolor ‘ Angel Blush ’ . Do n’t be discouraged , though . In my humble sentiment , the fundamental lies in is using it effectively : it ’s all about placement and pruning . If you ’re not yet excited , justwatch this TV : admirer of the Garden , Rose Campion / Okla. Ext .
I ’ve had the Battle of Magenta - blossom roseate campion for several years now , and they ’re great inmasses(as picture in the above - mentioned TV ) . They ’ve been a bit marvellous for my border , but with timely pruning , they fit in with others more felicitously . I also employ pruning to ascertain the number of seedlings that look next year ; I cut back some plants in mid - summer to encourage a 2d , short ( in height ) flush of salad days , while leave others to fix seed . Tracy DiSabato - Aust has experiment withpruning and deadheading rose campion , and her advice is highly recommend . She offers a couple alternative method :
I should also note that if you shorten back your rose catchfly down to the basal rosette powerful after its initial bloom , it will “ behave more like a perennial ” — and have a longer life .
Growing
I started with one plant a few year ago ; thanks to the seeded player from that one plant , I now have unnumberable plants . The respectable style to start , however , is with germ , and you may establish those seeds now — or as before long as the conditions cools off . Planting the semen in early fall is extremely recommended , as is sow the seeds tight together if you desire a mass effect . The seeds need about three hebdomad of dampish coldness for secure sprouting . If started indoors in give , ejaculate require light and three weeks of moist chilling . Rose campion grow well in any good , well - draining garden soil , either acidic or alkaline , in full sun . Though it will tolerate dry atmospheric condition once established , it needs hatful of piss during the sprouting and establishment menses .
I should mention that there ’s a relativelynew variety of rose campionthat has shorter stems , larger , double - blossom , rose - reddish blossom , and is sterile . It was discovered and introduced into commerce by the BBC television show , Gardeners ’ universe .
SOURCES :
Rodale ’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials(Ellen Phillips & C.Colston Burell , 1993 )
Armitage ’s Garden Perennials : A Color Encyclopedia(Allan Armitage , 2000 )
The Well - Tended Perennial Garden : Planting & Pruning Techniques(Tracy DiSabato - Aust , 2006 )
Lychnis coronaria ‘ Blych ’ Gardeners ’ World/ Missouri Botanical Garden
Plant of the calendar week : Rose Campion / Univ . Ark. Coop . Ext
Lychnis coronaria / Missouri Botanical Garden
Featured Photo : courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder .
