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Caryophyllaceae
Sea Campion
Silene uniflora
resilience against the elements.
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Silene
- Native to
- European Atlantic coast, Arctic regions
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.25-0.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, rocky, well-drained, salty
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 4-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Sea campion grows on some of the most inhospitable coastal habitats in Europe — cliff tops, shingle beaches, and sea walls battered by salt spray.
- Its inflated, balloon-like calyx (the green bladder behind the petals) is distinctive and gives the family Caryophyllaceae (including carnations) a recognizable trait.
- In the Scilly Isles, a rare subspecies called the Scilly campion (Silene uniflora ssp. scilloniensis) grows only on the island of St. Helen's.
- The plant is one of the primary hosts for the rare and specialized moth Hadena irregularis, which lays eggs exclusively in campion flowers.
- It forms low, dense, spreading mats that stabilize cliff-edge soils and provide nesting material for seabirds on rocky Atlantic coastlines.
Color meanings
0
resilience
1
endurance
2
coastal strength