Leaf
Kieran Roy Powell, Wikimedia · CC BY 4.0
Sea campion
Silene uniflora Roth
Family: Caryophyllaceae
10 to 30 cm tall
Rock gardens, dry gardens, free-draining soils, even sandy ones
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its calyx, swollen like a small wineskin and veined with purple, is very distinctive, visible even before the flower opens.
🍃 Leaves
Fleshy, blue-grey, in a low tuft
🌸 Flowers
White flowers with an inflated calyx veined with purple
🍎 Fruits
Small capsules containing many seeds
🪵 Bark
Low, cushion-forming tuft with trailing stems
🗺️ Distribution
Coasts of Europe (Atlantic, English Channel); common on coastal cliffs and shingle in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
White flowers with an inflated calyx, nectar-bearing, visited by moths and coastal bees.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Seaside gardens, rock gardens, low walls; compact cushion suited to sea spray and poor soils.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
🌿 Other Caryophyllaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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