Description
Lychnis coronaria | Rose Campion
Rose Campion, once called Mullein Pink and Lamp Flower, and also known as Silene, Bloody Mary, and Bloody William, is a short lived perennial flower that has felted leaves, which resemble Lambs Ear, were used in the making of wicks. Thomas Jefferson noted the “Lychnis bloom” at Shadwell way back in 1767. This flower variety has been around for quite some time!
During the first year of growth it will only produce a few blooms, but in the second year of establishment, Lychnis Rose Campion blooms with a profusion of bright magenta-rose colored, long-stemmed, trumpet-shaped flowers. They measure an inch across and just as long. The brilliant magenta rose on the flower is a beautiful contrast to the silvery grey, woolly foliage, which is soft to the touch. Flowering begins in late spring and lasts throughout the summer. Deadhead spent stems or cut back to keep blooming.
Lychnis coronaria plants are easy to grow, long-blooming and low maintenance. They perform well in both full sun or partial shade. Hardy and freely self sowing. Deer resistant.
The tall stems make Rose Campion excellent for cut flowers.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature height: 2.5- 3 ft
Mature width: 2 ft
Hardiness zones: 5- 9
