Rose campion also known by its botanical name Lychnis coronaria is a beloved old-fashioned perennial flower that deserves a spot in any cottage-style garden. This easy-to-grow heirloom has been grown since medieval times, yet its electric magenta blooms and soft silver foliage still feel fresh and trendy today.
In this complete guide, you’ll learn all about rose campion, including how to plant and grow it from seeds. Read on to find out why you need this vintage charmer in your garden!
What is Rose Campion?
Rose campion is a short-lived perennial or biennial flower in the Carnation family. It’s native to Eastern Europe and Asia where it grows on rocky slopes and meadows.
This traditional cottage garden plant has a long history of cultivation. It was likely grown in Roman and medieval gardens, remaining popular through the centuries.
By the 1700s, rose campion was commonplace in early American colonial gardens. And it’s still a garden staple today thanks to its vibrant blooms and lovely felted foliage.
The magenta flowers inspired its common name, as they resemble miniature roses. The woolly leaves are reminiscent of the plant called campion.
Other common names for this classic plant include mullein pink and bloody William. Its botanical name Lychnis comes from the Greek word for lamp, referring to its fiery blooms that seem to glow.
Growing Rose Campion from Seeds
One easy way to get rose campion plants is to grow them yourself from seeds! Starting from seeds is inexpensive and you’ll get lots more plants for your money.
Rose campion happily self-seeds once established, providing free plants year after year. You can also find seeds available from reputable sources online and at garden centers.
Follow these tips for success growing rose campion from seeds:
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Provide bright light and temperatures around 70°F.
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You can also direct sow seeds outdoors in spring once the soil has warmed. Press them into the soil surface without covering.
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Seeds need light to germinate. Keep them consistently moist, but not saturated.
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Expect sprouts in 1-3 weeks. Thin overcrowded seedlings and harden off before transplanting outside.
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Space mature plants 12-18 inches apart in full sun or partial shade. Avoid wetting the foliage to prevent disease.
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Let plants self-sow for free additional plants each year. Collect seeds in fall to sow the following spring.
The Striking Flowers of Rose Campion
The flashy magenta blooms are no doubt the star of this beloved heirloom plant. The electric flowers add pops of vivid color, contrasting elegantly with the silver downy foliage.
The blossoms emerge on upright stems in early summer. Each flower has five heart-shaped petals with deeply notched tips surrounding whiskery stamens.
While most commonly a rich pinkish-purple, rose campion also comes in lighter pastel hues like soft pink, white, and lavender. The colorful blooms last over a long season, fading gradually to lighter tones.
Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers. The long straight stems are perfect for cutting, so add some to bouquets to enjoy indoors.
Rose campion looks lovely in informal cottage gardens, cutting gardens, borders, containers, and open meadows. Plant it with foxgloves, catmint, yarrow, hollyhocks, and other cottage garden favorites.
The Lovely Foliage of Rose Campion
In addition to its vibrant blooms, rose campion is also prized for its unique silver foliage. It looks markedly different from common green leaves.
The oval leaves are covered in soft fuzzy hairs, giving them a silvery sheen. The dense rosettes of basal leaves stay low, hugging the ground. As the flower stems emerge, smaller leaves appear scattered along the tall stalks.
The foliage remains attractive all season without dying back early. And it provides the perfect canvas to highlight the bright blossoms.
The silver color even helps reflect sunlight onto the flowers. It also contrasts beautifully with many other plants, adding fun texture and dimension to garden beds.
Caring for Rose Campion
Rose campion thrives with minimal care. It’s adaptable to various conditions, as long as you meet a few basic needs:
Sun: Grow rose campion in full sun for the heaviest flowering. It also tolerates light shade, but may bloom less.
Soil: Well-drained soil is essential. Add compost to improve drainage in heavy clay soils before planting.
Water: Water new plants regularly until established. Then allow the soil to partially dry out between waterings.
Fertilizer: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer once or twice during the season to support flowering.
Pruning: Cut back flower stems after blooming to encourage reblooming. Remove damaged foliage as needed.
Propagation: Allow seeds to self-sow for new plants each year. You can also divide congested clumps every 2-3 years.
Pests & Disease: Generally trouble-free. Avoid wetting the foliage and allow good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew.
Attracting Pollinators with Rose Campion
Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators flock to the nectar-rich blooms of rose campion.
Expect to see beautiful painted lady butterflies, swallowtails, skippers, and fritillaries feeding on the flowers. Bumblebees, honeybees, and many tiny native bees will also stop by for nectar.
The wide open blossoms provide easy access for their mouthparts. And the flowers produce ample sweet nectar to supply food for these important garden allies.
So if you want to support pollinators, be sure to include rose campion in your planting plans. Its long bloom season gives bees and butterflies the nourishment they need.
Deer & Rabbit Resistant
Tired of deer and rabbits treating your garden like an all-you-can-eat buffet? Rose campion can help provide some protection.
It’s naturally more resistant to grazing by deer, rabbits, and other wildlife. The key reason is its strong musky fragrance that these animals find unappealing.
You’ll still want to use fencing or repellents for full protection. But rose campion is less likely to get nibbled compared to tastier options.
The flowers also hold up better in cut arrangements. Many tender blooms get ruined quickly by hungry bunnies sneaking a bite!
How to Use Rose Campion in the Landscape
There are endless ways to showcase rose campion’s vibrant beauty in your garden. Here are just a few ideas:
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Mix with classic cottage garden plants like foxgloves, catmint, yarrow, hollyhocks, lavender, daisies
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Plant in cutting gardens to enjoy in bouquets
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Edge pathways, gardens beds, and borders
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Allow to self-seed as a “weaver” plant through open areas
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Combine with trailing plants in patio pots and containers
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Include in wildflower meadows, prairie gardens, and open spaces
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Partner with salvias, bee balm, coneflowers, asters, and other pollinator plants
Growing Gorgeous Rose Campion from Seeds
Want more of this garden charmer? Growing rose campion from seeds is simple and affordable.
Let some plants self-sow for free plants each year. You can also find seeds available from many sources.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Move seedlings outside after hardening off once the danger of frost has passed.
Or direct sow seeds into your garden in spring. Press them into the soil surface without covering. Keep evenly moist until germination.
Then stand back and enjoy the floriferous show! Informal cottage gardens simply aren’t complete without rose campion’s whimsical blooms and distinctive foliage.
This centuries-old heirloom still shines today. Add its vibrant color, carefree growth, pollinator power, and unique texture to your own outdoor space.
How to propagate rose campion[image id=”169219″ size=”landscape_thumbnail” align=”none” title=”Saving rose campion seed” alt=”Saving rose campion seed” classes=””] Saving rose campion seed
Rose campion self seeds readily. You can either save seed from the ripe seed heads and store in brown envelopes until you come to sow them, or leave it to self seed naturally around the garden.
Sow rose campion seed in late winter to early spring or in autumn. Sow thinly on the surface of pots or trays of moist seed compost and, as seed needs light to germinate, either cover with glass or polythene, or with a thin layer of Perlite. Rose campion seed needs a period of cold to germinate (a process known as stratification) so a site in an unheated greenhouse or a sheltered spot outside. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual small pots or modular trays and then plant out when well grown.
Rose campion is trouble free once established.
How to care for rose campion
Once established, rose campion needs little care. Removing the dead flower stems encourages further blooms to develop, though do this with care to avoid removing unopened flowers. Cutting off the faded flower stems before seed ripens also prevents self-seeding.
Rose Campion Plant Profile
FAQ
Can you grow rose campion from seed?
Sow and Plant
Start rose campion seeds indoors in late winter, or use winter sowing techniques to start them outdoors while the weather is still cold. Set out home grown or purchased seedlings as soon as the soil warms in spring. Young plants need water when they are actively growing.
When to sow lychnis coronaria seeds?
Surface-sow directly onto trays filled with good seed compost in March or April, and maintain temperatures around 20C.
Is Rose Campion the same as Lychnis?
Rose campion is one of about 20 species of perennials and biennials in the genus Lychnis. This group in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae) is closely related to – and is sometimes included in – the genus Silene.
Is Lychnis coronaria invasive?
Rose campion may be propagated by seeds and basal cuttings. The plant self-seeds and has the potential to become invasive. The plant has an upright habit and a slender to stout taproot. The tall stems and silvery-green, lance-shaped foliage are covered densely with wooly hairs.