Caryophyllaceae – Nature Journeys

Meet The Campions

03/17Posted in Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Plants, Wild Flowers, Wildlife PhotographyTagged Caryophyllaceae, Flower, Flowers, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Pink Campion, Pinks, Red Campion, Sea Campion, Silene dioica, Silene latifolia, Silene uniflora, Silene x hampeana, White Campion, Wild Flowers, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography8 Comments

Red Campion Silene dioica — Red Campion *Silene dioica*

White Campion Silene latifolia — White Campion *Silene latifolia*

These hairy, five-petalled perennials can be found in hedgerows, on woodland margins, cultivated ground, roadside verges and waste ground. A native species it is common and widespread, and can be seen flowering from May to August.

Pink Campion Silene x hampeana — Pink Campion *Silene x hampeana*

The Pink Campion above is a hybrid of the White Campion (Silene latifolia) and the Red Campion (Silene dioica), which commonly occur where the two parent plants occur.

And as a comparison, see the Sea Campion below, which prefers coastal habitats.

Sea Campion Silene uniflora — Sea Campion *Silene uniflora*

June 2012, local woodland margins and field margins, Staffordshire, except for Sea Campion, Llandudno, Wales. © Pete Hillman 2012.

Snow-in-summer

01/1701/17Posted in Garden, Garden Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Plants, Wild Flowers, Wildlife PhotographyTagged Caryophyllaceae, Cerastium tomentosum, Flowers, Garden, Garden Flowers, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Snow-in-summer, Wild Flowers, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography14 Comments

Cerastium tomentosum

This is one plant that always reminds me of living back home with my parents, for they had a great clump of it growing over a wall in their back garden. I remember as a boy tending the border it was growing in, removing any weeds, and gently turning the soil with a small fork. I love the silver foliage which remains so all year round, and the white flowers which are in abundance from May to August, attracting all kinds of insects. It was only natural that I grow it in my own garden.

Naturalised throughout the British Isles. Found on roadside verges, dunes and waste ground. Flourishes well in the garden at the front of raised beds or borders, in full sunshine. Also ideal in rock gardens, and gives good ground colour. Introduced in 1648, common and widespread.

Sea Campion

01/1701/17Posted in Llandudno, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Places, Plants, Wild Flowers, Wildlife PhotographyTagged Caryophyllaceae, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Plants, Sea Campion, Silene uniflora, Wild Flowers, Wildlife Photography6 Comments

Silene uniflora

The Sea Campion is a loose, scrambling plant which produces distinct white flowers with conspicuously veined sepals joined into an inflated tube. The leaves are green, hairless and waxy, and some remain green throughout the winter.

It flowers March to October. Discovered in coastal habitats such as shingle banks, sand dunes and cliffs, and also inland on high mountains. Widespread and locally common, the Sea Campion varies its growth form according to its environment.