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Caryophyllaceae
Maltese Cross
Lychnis chalcedonica
Crusader's spirit, sun-fire, faith.
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Lychnis
- Native to
- Russia, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–120 cm (2–4 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Each flower has 5 petals deeply notched at the tip, forming a perfect 4-pointed cross shape—the same cross used by the Knights Hospitaller of the Crusader era and modern Malta.
- Crusaders supposedly brought the plant back from the Middle East in the 12th century—it has been a treasured cottage garden flower in Europe ever since.
- Maltese cross blooms in the brightest pure scarlet of any temperate perennial—almost neon red, especially when planted against silver-leaved companions.
- Despite being a heat-loving native of Central Asia, it's hardy down to –40°F and is one of the toughest perennials for very cold gardens, including Quebec and Russia.
- The plant was a cottage favorite of Thomas Jefferson, who grew it at Monticello as 'scarlet lychnis,' and it appears in his garden journals from 1771.
Color meanings
0
crusader's spirit
1
sun-fire
2
honor