White Campion
Silene latifolia
Best Time to See: May, June, July, August, September, October
Habitat: Grassland
Colour: White
A common wildflower of grassland and waste ground, its cheerful white flowers can be seen from spring to autumn.
Identification
The clear white flowers of the white campion have five petals, each deeply notched and almost divided into two and its opposite, oval leaves and stems are hairy. In places where it grows with red campion, the two may hybridise to produce pinky white blooms.
Habitat and distribution
On waste ground, disturbed roadside verges, hedgerows and well-drained arable field margins.
Did you know?
- At night the blooms produce a clovey scent, attracting many feeding moths.
- White campion was one of the ingredients in 16th Century Elizabethan pot pourri.
- The root has been used as a soap substitute for washing clothes, hair etc.
- It is thought to have been introduced to the country by neolithic farmers and remains of it have been found on neolithic and bronze age sites.
Conservation status
Common throughout the British Isles, but has declined slightly at the western edge of its range.
