more. Deadheading each small
individual seedhead to a new lateral
flower or bud is a tedious job. Snipping
with sharp pruning scissors and just
letting the deadheads drop to the
ground appears to be the most
efficient method. Deadheading before
seed sets can prevent prolific reseed-
ing. Plants are so narrow, though, that
seedlings pop up along walks and
between plants without much harm in
large gardens, and they add a sponta-
neous charm. My son Zachary fell in
love with this plant when he was 2
years old, and rose campion continues
to be his favorite. He saved it from the
compost pile, inspiring in me a whole
new attitude toward the plant, and
hence allowing innumerable seedlings
to make a home in all our perennial
gardens. Seeding ensures this
short-lived plant’s presence in the
garden, and an approach to prevent
overabundance is to allow only a few
of the stems to seed, or leave up only
some of the late flowers to set seed. But
gardeners with limited space may still
find them imposing.
Cutting the old flowering stems
down to the fuzzy basal leaves before
seed set, and thus preventing seeding,
may prolong the life of the existing
plant in the garden. These normally
biennial plants may act more peren-
nial in nature if treated in this way.
Plants can be deadheaded and then cut
down, or they can be cut down after
the majority of the initial flowering is
completed, skipping the arduous task
of deadheading but also missing the
prolonged bloom. If plants are cut
down without deadheading, it is
usually performed in late July. Plants
may send up sporadic rebloom after
being cut back, but not always.
Rose campion responds well to
pinching or cutting back before
flowering to reduce height and create
more compact and attractive plants.
Plants cut back by half when 15 in. tall
in early June, while in bud, flowered at
2 ft. rather than 3 ft. and were strong
even in partial shade. Flowering was
delayed by 2–3 weeks. Plants pinched
at 6 in. tall were also shorter and
sturdier but with no flower delay.
Periodic deadleafing may be
needed to clean up plants if summer
humidity and moisture are high. The
gray basal foliage on the plants holds
well into winter. Cutting off
winter-damaged leaves in early spring
is often necessary to improve the
overall appearance of the plant.
other maintenance Well-
draining soil, particularly over the
winter, is key to preventing death from
rotting. Clumps often open up in the
center if the soil is too heavy. Frequent
division is necessary to maintain vigor.
A short-lived perennial.
related plantS Silene coronaria
‘Alba’ is a white form of rose campion
that will bloom from late spring into
early autumn.
Silene dioica ‘Firefly’ is a great cut
flower. Its fully double bright magenta
flowers appear in early summer to
midsummer. Cut it back to its
semi-evergreen basal foliage after
flowering. Well-drained soil is
required and it is drought tolerant.
‘Firefly’ can be short-lived, but it is
worth replacing if needed.Silene coronaria ‘A l b a’