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(Silene californica)
Cardinal Catchfly (Silene californica)
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Don Loarie
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Don Loarie
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Don Loarie | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Don Loarie | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2016-05-29T11:41:43-07:00 |
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Silene californica, commonly known as Cardinal Catchfly, is a deciduous perennial herb native to the open woodlands and chaparral regions of California. It grows from a taproot and can have multiple decumbent to erect stems, potentially reaching over a meter (3 ft.) in height. The stems are slender, branching, glandular, and sticky, which helps the plant catch small insects, though it is not carnivorous. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide, with smaller leaves higher on the plant. Cardinal Catchfly blooms from late spring to early summer, featuring an inflorescence with one or many flowers, each on a long pedicel. The flowers have a tubular calyx of fused sepals, green or reddish with ten prominent veins. The five bright red petals are deeply divided into 4 to 6 long, pointed lobes, giving them a fringed appearance and making them quite showy.
Cardinal Catchfly is valued for its striking red flowers, which add vibrant color to rock gardens, native plant gardens, and dry borders. It is drought-tolerant, requiring low to very low amounts of water, and thrives in well-drained soils, making it suitable for xeriscaping. While it prefers full sun, it can tolerate some light shade. It is not commonly afflicted by diseases or pests, but it may be short-lived and can self-seed under ideal conditions.CC BY-SA 4.0
Cardinal Catchfly is valued for its striking red flowers, which add vibrant color to rock gardens, native plant gardens, and dry borders. It is drought-tolerant, requiring low to very low amounts of water, and thrives in well-drained soils, making it suitable for xeriscaping. While it prefers full sun, it can tolerate some light shade. It is not commonly afflicted by diseases or pests, but it may be short-lived and can self-seed under ideal conditions.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Herb
- Height: 0.5-0.3 feet
- Width: 0.5-1 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: Red
- Flowering Season: Spring, Summer
- Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun
- Water: Low, Very Low
- Drainage: Fast
Common Uses
Bee Garden, Bird Garden, Butterfly Garden, Hummingbird Garden, Low Maintenance, Showy Flowers
Natural Habitat
Open woodlands and chaparral regions of California
Other Names
Common Names: Fringed Indian Pink, Mexican Campion, Mexican-Pink
Scientific Names: , Silene californica, Silene laciniata subsp. californica, Silene laciniata var. californica, Silene californica var. subcordata, Melandrium californicum, Melandrium pulchrum, Silene californica var. miniata, Silene tilingii,
GBIF Accepted Name: Silene laciniata subsp. californica (Durand) J.K.Morton