Silene Species, Garden Catchfly, None-So-Pretty, Sweet-William Catchfly
Silene rubella subsp. rubella
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae (kar-ree-oh-fil-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
| Genus: | Silene (sy-LEE-nee) (Info) |
| Species: | rubella subsp. rubella |
| Synonym: | Silene armeria |
Category:
Annuals
Perennials
Water Requirements:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Foliage Color:
Blue-Green
Height:
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
Hardiness:
Not Applicable
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color:
Pink
Magenta (pink-purple)
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements:
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Auburn, Alabama
Seward, Alaska
Baywood-Los Osos, California
Keystone Heights, Florida
Lake City, Florida
Rincon, Georgia
Saint Charles, Illinois
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Brownfield, Maine
Hampden, Maine
Foxboro, Massachusetts
Halifax, Massachusetts
Medway, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Bowlus, Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota
Aurora, Missouri
Helena, Montana
Blair, Nebraska
Dover, New Hampshire
Greenville, New Hampshire
Moorestown, New Jersey
Rochester, New York
Schenectady, New York
Wallkill, New York
East Liverpool, Ohio
Roseburg, Oregon
Barto, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Warminster, Pennsylvania
Aiken, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Fort Worth, Texas
New Caney, Texas
Leesburg, Virginia
Clinton, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
| Rating | Content |
|---|---|
| Positive | On Sep 28, 2020, bebebrat from East Liverpool, OH wrote: When I was a child my grandmother and mother always had this cheerful plant growing in the garden. Then it was in my garden and I loved it. Fast forward, moved to another house and lost the plant. Years and years later, after many web searches, I have found the name and a small plant in my garden sown from a wild flower mix. I am really excited |
| Positive | On Jun 26, 2014, MaryKayD from Hampden, ME wrote: So THAT is what it is! I saw it growing out of the gravel at a local greenhouse and I asked the owner what is was. She laughed and said, "A WEED!". She said I could dig it out of the gravel if I wanted it, so I took a slip. |
| Neutral | On Jul 1, 2012, MTVineman from Glenwood, MN (Zone 5a) wrote: To say this plant spreads is in understatement! Uff da! I've never seen a plant take off and reseed as much as this one does. I'm having to pull it up all over my gardens where I don't want it that is. It's a very beautiful and attractive plant, don't get me wrong, but watch out, if it finds a spot it likes it will spread like a wildfire in Montana and that's just where I am! The bee's and hummers like it but I see why it's called Catch Fly too, as the stems and most of the plant are really sticky. Goes good next to my Nicotiana sylvestris as that has pretty sticky leaves too. I even have this coming up in my front porch flower boxes. Now how did it get in those? Weird plant and obviously wants to propagate itself! If you want quick colour and a plant that will last forever, get this one a... read more |
| Negative | On Oct 10, 2011, microbiology1 from Foxboro, MA wrote: Never again! To say that this plant self-sows is an understatement. It spreads worse than most weeds. It flowers and seeds all season long so you will get self-sowing the same season. I'm fairly confident for every seed you plant you get 100 seeds in return. Unless you're planting this in an area where you want it to spread prolifically I would avoid it at all costs. |
| Positive | On Aug 12, 2008, maccionoadha from Halifax, MA (Zone 6a) wrote: This plant can absorb and accumulate toxic metals/minerals. Avoid eating. Keep away from cattle, pets and children. |
| Positive | On Aug 8, 2008, emilybee from Los Osos, CA wrote: I love this flower. It was really easy to grow, bloomed before I knew it and the color is so striking! It's also fun to see the sticky stuff at the base of the flowers (an interesting feature). These flowers are cheerful and I've had great luck with them in containers. |
| Positive | On May 17, 2008, Neomia from Aiken, SC wrote: This plant was added to my flower garden from my sowing a mixture of wild flower seeds. It took me awhile to locate the name of this easy to grow colorful plant. It reseeds easily in my yard and I enjoy each cluster of blooms. It is not invasive and if it does comes up where I don't want it, I just reset it somewhere else in the garden. Now, I am curious as to how it got the name catchfly.? |
| Positive | On Mar 3, 2007, digging_dirt from comebychance, NL (Zone 5b) wrote: this plant growes realy will and makes a great filler in a flower bed |
| Neutral | On Nov 2, 2001, poppysue from Westbrook, ME (Zone 5a) wrote: This hardy annual will colonize and form large drifts of electric pink blossoms. It is easy to grow and once established it re-seeds year after year. It grows to a height of 18 inches and prefers a sunny site. Seeds can be planted in fall or early spring. It’s not fussy about soil conditions and will continue blooming if faithfully deadheaded |
