Sea Campion Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated' (v)

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated', commonly known as Sea Campion, is a distinctive plant known for its beautiful foliage and flowers. Its leaves are small and fleshy with a creamy-white variegation on the edges, which creates a striking contrast against the green center. This variegation adds a bright, decorative appeal to the plant throughout the growing season. The Sea Campion blooms with charming white flowers that have a deeply fringed petal margin, giving them a frilly look. These blooms are notable for their balloon-like calyx, a feature that makes the flowers appear puffed before they fully open. Once in bloom, the flowers stand out crisply against the variegated foliage, making this plant a striking addition to any garden space where its appearance can be fully appreciated.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Caryophyllaceae.
- Synonyms
  Sea Campion, Druett's Variegated Sea Campion.
- Common names
  Silene uniflora, Silene vulgaris var. maritima, Silene maritima.
Toxicity
- To humans
  Sea Campion (the most common name for Silene uniflora) is not widely known for its toxicity to humans. There is little information suggesting that Sea Campion is poisonous when touched or ingested. However, as with any plant, individual allergies or sensitivities could cause mild reactions in some people. It is always advisable to exercise caution and avoid ingesting plants not known to be safe as foods.
- To pets
  Sea Campion is not commonly reported as a toxic plant to pets. There are no specific symptoms of poisoning associated with this plant for animals such as dogs and cats. Nonetheless, it is generally recommended to prevent pets from ingesting plants unnecessarily due to the potential for individual sensitivities or gastro-intestinal upset. If you suspect your pet has eaten a significant amount of any plant and is showing signs of illness, you should consult a veterinarian.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Evergreen
- Color of leaves
  Variegated
- Flower color
  White
- Height
  6 inches (15 cm)
- Spread
  12 inches (30 cm)
- Plant type
  Herb
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  Europe

Benefits

General Benefits
- Aesthetic Appeal: Adds visual interest to gardens with its variegated foliage and star-shaped flowers.
- Attracts Wildlife: Provides nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies, enhancing biodiversity.
- Drought Tolerance: Once established, it has good drought resistance, reducing the need for frequent watering.
- Low Maintenance: Requires minimal upkeep, making it suitable for gardeners of all skill levels.
- Ground Cover: Dense growth habit helps suppress weeds and cover bare spots in the landscape.
- Sea Coast Resilience: Has the ability to withstand saline conditions, suitable for coastal gardens.
- Rock Gardens and Borders: Ideal for planting in rock gardens or as edging due to its compact size and attractive foliage.
- Cold Hardiness: Can withstand cold temperatures, making it suitable for cooler climates.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Catchfly can be used as a natural indicator of soil PH, as it prefers alkaline conditions, so its presence may suggest the soil is not acidic.
- The sticky stems of catchfly trap small insects, which can help reduce the number of garden pests without using chemical treatments.
- Due to its attractive foliage, catchfly can be used in flower arrangements to provide variegation and contrast.
- Catchfly can be used in educational settings to study plant morphology and adaptation because of its unique features, like the sticky stem surfaces.
- In photography, the glistening sticky stems of catchfly can create unique macro images especially when capturing dew drops or trapped insects.
- Catchfly's low-growing habit makes it useful as a ground cover plant to control soil erosion on slopes or in coastal gardens.
- As a companion plant in vegetable gardens, catchfly may act as a trap crop for aphids and other pests, offering a habitat to attract beneficial insects.
- Through its blooms, catchfly supports night pollinators, like moths, thus contributing to the ecosystem services in gardens and wild areas.
- The reflective surfaces of the leaves can be a visual deterrent for certain pests, thus serving as a non-toxic repellent in integrated pest management strategies.
- Its tolerance for salt spray means catchfly has potential as a decorative plant in roadside landscaping in coastal areas.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Sea Campion is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Sea Campion is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Love and Admiration: The common name of Silene uniflora is Sea Campion, and campion flowers in general are often seen as symbols of love. They can symbolize admiration for someone's enduring and resilient nature, much like the hardy Sea Campion that thrives in tough coastal environments.
- Survival and Strength: Sea Campion's ability to grow in rocky, coastal areas signifies an impressive ability to survive and even prosper in challenging conditions. This could symbolize the strength and survival skills of an individual.
- Purity and Innocence: The white flowers of the Sea Campion often represent purity and innocence, which can be attributed to the simple beauty and unassuming presence of the plant in its natural habitat.
- Longevity: As some Sea Campions are perennials that return year after year, they can symbolize longevity and the idea of an enduring presence or everlasting relationship.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 2-3 years

Repotting

🌱️

Spring-Early Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
The Sea Campion should be watered deeply but infrequently to mimic its natural coastal habitat. Typically, ensuring the plant receives about 1 inch of water per week, either through rainfall or supplemental watering, should suffice. During dry spells or in particularly hot weather, check the soil moisture; if the top inch of the soil feels dry, it's time to water. Water at the base of the plant to avoid wetting the foliage, which can lead to fungal issues. In winter, reduce watering as the plant's growth slows down and it requires less moisture.
Light
Sea Campion thrives in full sun to partial shade, preferring a location where it can receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. It can tolerate some shade, especially in the hottest parts of the day, which can help prevent scorching in very hot climates. The best spot for Sea Campion would be an area with morning sun and dappled afternoon light or a place that enjoys full sun but is not exposed to the intense heat of late afternoon sun.
Temperature
Sea Campion is hardy and can tolerate a range of temperatures, but it does best in conditions that mimic its native coastal environment. It can survive in temperatures as low as 10°F and as high as 90°F. However, for optimal growth, a temperature range between 60°F and 75°F is ideal. Regular freezing temperatures or extreme heat above this range could damage or stress the plant.
Pruning
Pruning Sea Campion is beneficial to promote bushier growth and to remove spent flowers, encouraging further blooming. Trim back the plant after the first flush of blooms has faded, usually in mid-summer, to tidy the plant and stimulate a second bloom. It's also wise to remove dead or diseased stems whenever noticed to maintain plant health. Sea Campion typically requires pruning only once or twice a year, depending on its growth rate and bloom cycles.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Sea Campion, Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated', thrives in well-draining, sandy loam enriched with organic matter, preferring a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.5. A mix of two parts garden soil, one part sand or perlite, and one part compost or well-rotted manure is ideal for fostering good root growth and health.
Repotting
Sea Campion should be repotted every 2 to 3 years to refresh the soil and provide room for growth. It's best to repot in early spring before the onset of new growth. This plant does not typically have a rapidly expanding root system, so frequent repotting is not necessary.
Humidity & Misting
Sea Campion prefers moderate humidity levels, typical of outdoor environments. It does not require high humidity and is quite adaptable to the ambient moisture levels found in most temperate climates.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Grow Sea Campion in bright, indirect light with good air flow.
- Outdoor
  Plant in full sun to part shade, in well-drained soil.
- Hardiness zone
  4-8 USDA
Life cycle
Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated', commonly known as the Sea Campion, starts its life as a seed, which, when sown in fertile, well-draining soil and given proper warmth and moisture, will germinate. In the subsequent vegetative stage, the seedling develops into a rosette of variegated leaves, spreading outwards as it matures. As it enters the flowering stage, Sea Campion produces white, inflated calyx flowers that are attractive to pollinators, which typically occurs in late spring to summer. After pollination, the flowers will give way to capsule-like fruits containing seeds. If conditions allow, these seeds can fall to the ground, remaining dormant until the next suitable growth season or they can be collected for controlled propagation. The plant is perennial, so this cycle of flowering and seed production can occur annually, with the plant enduring through all but the harshest winters with proper care, although individual plants might eventually require division to rejuvenate and prevent overcrowding.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring-Early Summer
- Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated,' commonly known as Sea Campion, is best propagated during the late spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. The most popular method for propagating Sea Campion is by division. This involves gently separating the plant into smaller sections, making sure that each new section has a good amount of roots and at least a couple of shoots. These divisions should then be planted into well-draining soil at the same depth they were originally growing and watered in well. It's important to keep the soil moist until the new divisions have established, which usually takes a few weeks. Division is an effective way of maintaining the variegation of the leaves, which can be lost in seed-grown plants.