Silene caroliniana: Country Or Region Of Origin
North America
Plant Profile: Silene caroliniana
Taxonomy: Silene carolinianaNames
Carolina campion, Catchfly, Wild-pink
Phonetic Spelling:sy-LEE-nee kair-oh-lin-ee-AY-uh
Genus:Silene
Species:caroliniana
Family:Caryophyllaceae
Wild-pink is a perennial flower indigenous to the acidic, sandy soils of dry, open woodlands and slopes. This low-growing wildflower can yield between 50 to 100 blooms per plant and is classified as endangered in Florida.
It thrives in well-drained soils and favors full sun to partial shade, making it an excellent choice for rock gardens or the front of garden borders. To ensure its health, it is crucial to avoid heavy, wet soils that could lead to root rot.
Silene caroliniana Feature Summary
Silene caroliniana Image Gallery
Tags
#drought tolerant
#pink flowers
#native perennial
#NC native
#rock gardens
#wildflower garden
#food source summer
#border front
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#rocky soils tolerant
#dry soils tolerant
#food source hard mast fruit
#audubon
Similar Plants
Silene caroliniana Feature Summary
Attributes
North America
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, MA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WV
Attracts butterflies and other insect pollinators
Perennial
Seed
Stem Cutting
Root Cutting
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Fruit
Oval capsule displays from May to August
Summer
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
The 1 1/2" pink flowers bloom in perfusion from April to June. The flowers each have 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 3 styles.
Pink
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
Star
1-3 inches
Leaves
Small oval to lanced-shaped leaves with entire margins are up to 1.25 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Tapers at the base and short pointed at the tip. Few hairs present.
Green
Simple
Opposite
Elliptical
Lanceolate
Entire
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stem
Landscape
Rock Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Border
Drought
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Small Mammals
Silene caroliniana Image Gallery
Silene caroliniana Attributes
Silene caroliniana: Distribution
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, MA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WV
Silene caroliniana: Wildlife Value
Attracts butterflies and other insect pollinators
Silene caroliniana: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Silene caroliniana: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Silene caroliniana: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Silene caroliniana Fruit
Silene caroliniana: Fruit Description
Oval capsule displays from May to August
Silene caroliniana: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Silene caroliniana: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Silene caroliniana: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Silene caroliniana Flowers
Silene caroliniana: Flower Description
The 1 1/2" pink flowers bloom in perfusion from April to June. The flowers each have 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 3 styles.
Silene caroliniana: Flower Color
Pink
Silene caroliniana: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Silene caroliniana: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Silene caroliniana: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Silene caroliniana: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Silene caroliniana: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Silene caroliniana Leaves
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Description
Small oval to lanced-shaped leaves with entire margins are up to 1.25 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Tapers at the base and short pointed at the tip. Few hairs present.
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Color
Green
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Silene caroliniana: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Silene caroliniana: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Silene caroliniana Whole Plant Traits
Silene caroliniana: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Silene caroliniana: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Silene caroliniana: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Silene caroliniana Cultural Conditions
Silene caroliniana: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Silene caroliniana: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Silene caroliniana: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Silene caroliniana: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Silene caroliniana: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Silene caroliniana: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Silene caroliniana Stem
Silene caroliniana: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Silene caroliniana Landscape
Silene caroliniana: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Silene caroliniana: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Silene caroliniana: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Silene caroliniana: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
