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White Campion

©Brett Lewis/2020VISION

White campion

At night, the pretty, white blooms of white campion produce a heady scent, attracting feeding moths. Look for this wildflower along hedgerows and roadside verges, and on waste ground.

Scientific name

Silene latifolia

When to see

May to October

Species information

Statistics

Height: up to 1m
Common.

About

White campion is a common wildflower that grows in fields, along hedgerows and roadside verges, and on waste ground. It flowers throughout the summer, but it's actually at night when the blooms produce a heady scent, attracting many feeding moths.
White campion is often a perennial plant, which means it can live for a number of years, growing again each spring; but it can also be a short-lived annual or biennial.

How to identify

White campion displays white flowers with five petals, each deeply notched and almost divided into two; its oval leaves and stems are hairy. In places where it grows alongside red campion, the two may hybridise to produce pinky or white blooms.

Distribution

Found throughout the UK, but most common in England.

Did you know?

White campion is sometimes called the 'Grave Flower' or 'Flower of the Dead' as it can be seen growing in graveyards and around tombstones.