How and Where to grow Red Campion Silene Dioica
How and where to grow Red Campion
Red campion comes into flower at the end of the bluebell season. They go on flowering through June and into July. You might see a beautiful picture of native bluebells in a wood with a line of pinky-red campions flowering along the woodland edge.
Each flower has five deeply-notched petals that join together at the base to form a kind of tube. Their hairy leaves grow in opposite pairs, and they can grow up to a metre tall.
Red campion is dioecious, meaning the male and female flowers grow on separate plants.
Red Campion is perennial, so once established will come back year after year. They will do well in a sunny meadow as well as in semi-shade. The colour of the flowers can vary considerably through from all shades of pink to nearly white. There is also an alternative species called white campion - if grown next to each other, they can hybridise to form a light pink coloured plant.
How and where to grow Red Campion
Establishment
It will grow easily from seed and can be sown in either the spring or early autumn. You should plant the seeds were you want them to grow. You can also introduce them as plug plants into an existing meadow. See our Comprehensive Guide for sowing tips.
Flowering period
Once established, red campion will flower from April through to July.
Where to plant
Red campion grows best in partial shade/dappled sunlight but can tolerate full sun in cooler climates or areas with consistently moist soil. They will not grow so well in very heavy clay soils.
