Red Campion North Fife

Red Campion North Fife

An attractive medium to tall perennial with a downy stem and opposite paired leaves. The flowers, which are rose pink, consist of five cleft petals joined at their base to form a tube which is surrounded by a purple brown calyx. Red campion is dioecious, a botanical term that means the male and female flowers are carried on separate plants, hence the species name dioica. The peak of flowering starts as bluebells fade but flowers can be found from March to November with a few remaining throughout the winter.  Easily grown from seed sown at any time of the year.Apr. 1000 Seeds per gm. I, every year enjoy to see them, along the roadside and in the garden, this back lit photo shows the usually unseen  downy nature. The leaves are a frequent addition to Mediterranean salads, something else we can benefit from as food for free.