Description
Hooker’s silene puts on a huge show for such a small, little plant. Native to northern California and western Oregon, Hooker’s silene is a small (2″-8″ tall) decumbent to upright herbaceous perennial wildflower in the pink (Caryophyllaceae) family. It can be found growing in sunny openings in oak woodland, chaparral, pine forest and mixed conifer forest. The fun little flowers can take different forms, with a tubular calyx of fused sepals, with five petals that are most often pink, but can also be white or various shades of pale pink to dark pink. The petal tips usually have four lobes that can be rounded and wide, or fringelike and narrow. Bloom time is early to late spring depending on elevation. The flowers are attractive to pollinating flies and small native bees. The green to gray stems and leaves are either glandular or covered in short soft hairs. This species goes by many additional common names such as: Hooker’s Indian-pink, Hooker’s campion, Hooker’s catchfly, and Hooker’s glandular campion. Prefers dry, rocky or coarse soils with good, sharp drainage.
Hooker’s silene (Silene hookeri) seed packets contain approximately 50 seeds per packet.
Seed Germination Instructions
60 days of cold-moist stratification is recommended. Sow seeds outside in fall to early winter and let nature do the stratification naturally outside, if you have cold enough winters. If you live in an area with mild winters, you may need to provide the cold-moist stratification artificially. For more information please read through the information in our Seed Germination and Propagation Reference Guide.
