Lychnis coronaria Oculata

The Lychnis coronaria Oculata, poetically named Angel's Blush, is a unique variety of garden catchfly, finally available in France. Its large angelic flowers display a stunning soft bicolour, with a pale pink to lilac centre fading to white on the petal edges. Its rosette foliage and long, ramified velvet grey stems are faithful to those of the species, remarkably graphic. This queen of herb gardens also has its place in a romantic and wild garden, planted in sunny, well-drained soil, even if it is poor and dry in summer. It will self-sow at will!

The Lychnis coronaria Oculata Angel's Blush is a horticultural variety derived from Lychnis coronaria, a plant native to southern Europe and western Asia. It is rather a biennial plant, quite faithful to sowing. It has been observed that the flowers of this 'Oculata' variety are maculated with a fairly variable pink tone depending on the climatic conditions. It is a tomentose-whitish plant, with a woody stump, forming rosettes at the base from which emerge stems rising to 40-80 cm (16-32in), robust, single or dichotomous-branched. Flowering takes place from June to September, in the form of quite large flower clusters for the species, 3.5 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) wide. They are round, open cups more or less flat and frilly, white with a pale to deep pink eye, with long peduncles. Its leaves are oval-oblong, silver-gray, semi-evergreen to evergreen in mild climates, and tomentose.

This Lychnis coronaria Oculata has its place in informal gardens as well as in romantic or more sophisticated flower beds. Plant it in small clusters in front of shrub borders or in groups, as a single plant can look a bit awkward. A very beautiful combination can be achieved with the wild form Lychnis coronaria and the white form 'Alba', the harmonious agreement between the pastel pink of its flowers, the extraordinarily vivid magenta red, the purity of the white flowers and the silvery velvet foliage of the three plants being perfect. The catchflies elegantly accompany old or English roses, buddleias, bright pink phlox paniculata, or in dry soil, Perovskia and aromatic plants such as Sage, thyme, lavender, and rosemary, which require the same growing conditions.