Silene pendula seed

LATIN NAME: Silene pendula

COMMON NAME: Nodding Catchfly, Drooping Catchfly

The nodding catchfly is a pretty and graceful little flower of the Mediterranean, and its nodding pink blooms are a delight of the summer garden. It grows as a low, sprawling annual, with softly hairy stems and leaves and, from late spring to summer, an abundance of small, five-petalled flowers in shades of rose, pink or white, borne in loose clusters, with the buds nodding and drooping, which gives the plant its name. It is a native of Italy, Greece and Turkey, and it is grown in gardens as an easy and charming annual, with a number of pretty cultivars available.

The nodding catchfly belongs to the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, and it is native to Italy, Greece and Turkey. It has been introduced to scattered locations in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia, and it is a popular and easy garden annual, grown for its nodding blooms and its long, carefree season of flower, with its low, sprawling habit making it a charming plant for the front of the border and the edge of the path, where its rose and pink flowers make a soft carpet of colour.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The nodding catchfly has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and botanical research. It has been studied in horticulture for its value as a garden annual, prized for its pretty nodding flowers and its easy cultivation, and a number of cultivars are available, so it has been a subject in the breeding and selection of garden plants. The plant has also been studied in botany, since the genus Silene is a large and fascinating group of the carnation family, and researchers have examined its classification and its relationships, and the genus is of continuing interest in plant systematics. The species has also been studied in ecological research, since a recent study of the plant has contributed to our understanding of the group, and its introduction to other regions has been examined. For a flower of such easy charm, the nodding catchfly has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the nodding catchfly is a generous flower of the summer garden. Its pink blooms feed bees and other pollinators, and its seeds feed small birds, while it brings soft colour to the border and the meadow.

Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is a popular and easy garden annual, prized for its pretty nodding flowers and its long season of bloom, and it is grown in borders, in containers and in wildflower plantings, while a number of cultivars are grown by gardeners. For a grower, the nodding catchfly is an easy and charming plant, and for a gardener it brings nodding rose-pink blooms through the summer. The seeds are easy — scatter them in a sunny spot in spring, barely cover them, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on into sprawling, flowering plants by early summer.

Season: Annual
Height: 8 inches
Bloom Season: Late spring to mid summer
Bloom Color: Carmine
Environment: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, pH 5.5 – 6.5

Temperature: 68 – 72F
Average Germ Time: 10 – 14 days
Light Required: Yes – filtered light is best instead of direct sunlight
Depth: Do not cover seeds more than 1/16th inch
Moisture: Keep soil slightly moist but not wet
Plant Spacing: 12 inches

Nodding Catchfly