Silene dioica

The Red Campion or Silene dioica is a perennial herbaceous plant present in Europe. It is not demanding but very generous in flowering, offering small pink-red flowers with five notched petals from May to October. The leaves are edible. The plant forms a beautiful erect, floriferous and nectariferous tuft. Use it in a countryside garden to lighten up flower beds. Sow in spring, in a tray or directly in the ground.

Silenes are plants of the caryophyllaceae family, just like carnations. Silene dioica is naturally present in Western Europe. It prefers moist soil and is frequently found along paths and in the edges of shaded woodlands. It is an herbaceous plant with a perennial stump, fast growth, and is very hardy. It produces a basal tuft of elliptical to lanceolate linear leaves, from which branched leafy stems reach about 70-80 cm (28-32in) in height. Flowering takes place over many weeks, from May-June to September-October. Each stem produces inflorescences in cymes, composed of several flowers measuring 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter with a swollen base and 5 notched petals. They are pink-red in colour. This flowering is followed by the formation of numerous fine seeds that easily germinate in light soil, dispersing the plants in the garden.

Red Campions or silenes are beautiful wildflowers, bright and light. They bring the charm of flowering meadows to our gardens. Sow them in light, well-drained and moist soil to bring poetry to your rockeries, paths, and unpretentious flower beds. Their charm goes well with the swaying ornamental grasses such as Mulhenbergia capillaris, Schizachyrium, or Eragrostis.

The young leafy shoots of Silene dioica, without their bitter stem, have a slight sweet taste reminiscent of peas when eaten raw, added to salads, but they are mostly consumed cooked, revealing their spinach-like flavour.