Silene armeria
Sweet William Catchfly
bunch pink
Annuals come and go don’t they, but this little gem has stuck with us and I am so glad because it makes a big contribution to the garden scene and especially to our containers where it seems particularly happy to grow.
I bought my original plant several years ago from a stall in our local Saturday market and I well remember how impossible it was to ignore the intense pink flowers as I walked by. Since then I haven’t needed to collect seed because it readily self sows – in dryer years it is more in evidence than in others – but I do often scatter some seeds in random pots that I’m over-wintering in the greenhouse.
It was only this morning as I sat down to write this piece that I saw its name has been changed from Silene armeria – just when you think you’ve got the name in your head, they do this to you. Sweet William Catchfly (they can’t change that one!) is a hardy annual and is native to central and southern Europe, but having been introduced here, it has now become naturalised in the south of the UK. Being so well adapted to life in our summer containers, it’s easy to see that it appreciates well drained conditions and full sun, yet it also seems to do well in part shade.
This is a member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae) and the generous clusters of magenta flowers are perfectly set off by the glaucous foliage. Its flowering period is a long one, from late spring into summer, and with me it seldom reaches more than 30-45 cm. Seeds are readily available online and you don’t have to do anything more than scatter – try half in the autumn and half in late winter/earlyspring.
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.
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