SILENE – Catchfly
(From the Greek for saliva, referring to the stickiness of the stems of some species)
The Sweet-William Catchfly, Silene armeria, is a little known but worthy annual and grows 1 to 2 feet tall. The flowers are delicate pink or rose-colored, and are produced in compound cymes, each flower with a short stem, thus differing from a similar though biennial species, S. compacta (orientalis), which has very dense heads of bloom. The leaves of S. armeria are gray and smooth, as are also the stems.
Where to Plant. An addition to the rockery, border or cutting garden, the Sweet-William Catchfly should be known to be appreciated.
GENERAL. Sow the seeds in May out-of-doors where they are to grow or transplant from seed sown earlier indoors.
Information on 50+ annual flowers
