How to Grow Catchfly Plants From Seeds

 

The Catchfly plants which is also known as Silene armeria is a plant that is native to Europe and the plant was introduced to North America. Actually the plant grown-up name is Silene armeria and it is a perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones five to eight. The Catchfly plants don’t perform well in sweltering heat and it can only be considered an annual in colder zones. The Catchfly perennial plants are most suited to moderate weather in full to partial sun. Another name of Silene is Campion, which is also called sweet william catchfly plant. This wonderful flowering perennial plant will spread and add a swath of color to your garden.  

 

Catchfly Perennials Info

Silene is a genus of flowering plants with roughly about seven hundred species. A lot of them are attractive for the gardens of the Northern Hemisphere. Commonly found forms, like the sweet william catchfly plant, provide easy-to-care for carpets of flowering mounds. For some odd reason it is also referred to as none-so-pretty, which seems rather unfair. The plant actually flowers from May to September and comes primarily in tones of pink but may also be in white and lavender. The plant’s extended blooming period makes growing silene flower ideal for any landscape. The Catchfly perennial plants are low-growing plants with exceptional drought tolerance. The sweet william catchfly is a bright pink perennial in moderate climates that forms a twelve to eighteen tall mat of foliage and flowers. The plant is called catchfly because of the white sticky sap that oozes from damaged parts of the stems, which snares small insects. The leaves rise up from the stiff stems and it have small gray green to silver hues. The half-inch (1.25 cm.) blooms sport rounded petals on a flat long-lived flower. The Pacific Northwest and parts of the moderate western states provide the best climate for growing silene flower.

 

How to Grow Catchfly Plants from Seeds Indoors

Start the catchfly seeds indoors at least 8 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow the catchfly seeds in flats filled with good quality potting soil. The seedlings will emerge in fifteen to twenty-five days. In temperate climates, you can direct sow the catchfly seeds 3 weeks before the last frost. Provide even moisture as the catchfly plants mature. Once they are planted outside and established, infrequent watering is fine, but during high heat and dry periods the plant’s moisture needs increase.  

 

How to Care for Catchfly Plant

The Catchfly perennial plants may self-seed and spread in moderate climates. If you don’t want the plant to spread you can easily deadhead the plants before blooms form seed. The Catchfly plants benefit from a one to three inch layer of mulch spread around the root zone to protect them in short freeze periods. Pull the mulch away in spring in other to allow new growth to emerge. As with any plant, the catchfly plant care must include watching for pest and disease problems. The Catchfly perennial plants have no significant issues in these areas but it’s always best to nip problems in the bud in the event they arise. Provided you situate the Catchfly plant in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil that has good nutrient value, growing silene flower in your garden provides a low maintenance, consistent show of color.