Silene Species, Garden Catchfly, None-So-Pretty, Sweet-William Catchfly

When I was a child my grandmother and mother always had this cheerful plant growing in the garden. Then it was in my garden and I loved i...Read Moret. Fast forward, moved to another house and lost the plant. Years and years later, after many web searches, I have found the name and a small plant in my garden sown from a wild flower mix. I am really excited
to rediscover this small gem. Sure it can be invasive, but just like my Jewels of Opar, or Nicotania Alba, you can cull them as easy as pulling a weed.

So THAT is what it is! I saw it growing out of the gravel at a local greenhouse and I asked the owner what is was. She laughed and said...Read More, "A WEED!". She said I could dig it out of the gravel if I wanted it, so I took a slip.

I love it. I really do. It re seeds but pulls up so easily. It adds pops of intense pink color where ever I put it. It grows between and around other plants without choking them out or blocking the light. They re bloom with deadheading and they are airily gorgeous tucked into bouquets. They are best tucked around other plants giving that unruly Cottage Garden look because standing alone, their foliage looks a bit weedy. I find Forget-me-nots much more invasive than these. I love those too.

I love the colorful unruly look of profusely blooming Cottage Gardens, so for me, this cutie is a keeper.

To say this plant spreads is in understatement! Uff da! I've never seen a plant take off and reseed as much as this one does. I'm having ...Read Moreto pull it up all over my gardens where I don't want it that is. It's a very beautiful and attractive plant, don't get me wrong, but watch out, if it finds a spot it likes it will spread like a wildfire in Montana and that's just where I am! The bee's and hummers like it but I see why it's called Catch Fly too, as the stems and most of the plant are really sticky. Goes good next to my Nicotiana sylvestris as that has pretty sticky leaves too. I even have this coming up in my front porch flower boxes. Now how did it get in those? Weird plant and obviously wants to propagate itself! If you want quick colour and a plant that will last forever, get this one and maybe add some Hesperis seeds. It obviously likes our soil and climate! I'd give it a positive rating but having to pull tons of it up and the stickiness of the plant when doing so, force me to give it a Neutral.

Never again! To say that this plant self-sows is an understatement. It spreads worse than most weeds. It flowers and seeds all season lon...Read Moreg so you will get self-sowing the same season. I'm fairly confident for every seed you plant you get 100 seeds in return. Unless you're planting this in an area where you want it to spread prolifically I would avoid it at all costs.