Fire pink (Silene virginica)

Scientific Name:

Silene virginica

Common Name:

Fire pink

Scientific Name Pronounciation:

sy-LEE-nee vir-JIN-ih-kuh

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Hardiness Zones:

4-8

Plant Hardiness Zone(s):

Usual Size:

1-1.5 ft. H X .75-1.5 ft. W

Flower:

Flowers are scarlet red and consist of 5 slender petals notched at the tips; shaped like stars spreading out from small trumpets.

Bloom Time Notes:

Spring

Leaf:

Narrow, lance-shaped, and up to 4 in. long.

Fruit:

A capsule with seeds inside.

Wildlife:

Attracts hummingbirds

Natural Habitat:

Moist and/or rocky wooded slopes, bluffs, open slopes, thickets, deciduous woodlands; found throughout eastern North America.

Propagation:

Forms clumps, so easiest to separate basal rosettes (late fall or early spring).

Bloom Time:

Sun or Shade:

Companion Plants:

Cultural Notes:

Fire pink (Silene virginica) grows in full sun to part shade, in dry to medium-wet soil conditions; prefers part shade; needs excellent drainage.