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White Campion
Silene latifolia
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Alien species
White Campion is an upright, branching herb of the carnation family with showy white, evening-opening flowers. It is native across much of Europe and extends into western and central Asia, and it has spread widely in other temperate regions. You are most likely to see it in summer, when its pale blooms open at dusk and may continue into early autumn in mild conditions.
Did you know?
- White Campion has separate male and female plants (it is dioecious).
- It can hybridize with Red Campion, often producing pale pink flowers.
About the species
Identification
A 30–60 cm tall, erect and branching herb with opposite, oval to lance-shaped, softly hairy leaves. Flowers are white, open mainly in the evening, and have five deeply notched petals with small scales at the throat; the tubular, ribbed calyx is swollen. Plants are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate individuals. The fruit is a capsule that opens with multiple teeth. Distinguished from Red Campion by its white petals; hybrids may show pale pink tones.
Plant group
Herbaceous plants
Habitat
meadow, yards and roadsides
Flowering
Jun–Aug
About the habitat
Found in sunny to lightly shaded, well-drained, often dry soils of disturbed and semi‑natural places such as field margins, roadsides, dry grasslands, waste ground, railways, and around settlements.
Sources
Photo: olmagon, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6129976903
Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkoailakki
