Lychnis coronaria
Rose campion
(c) Sandy Wolkenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Lychnis coronaria (Rose campion) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by Southeastern European species naturalized from cultivation; distinctive silvery indument with bright flowers.
Rose campion is a naturalized perennial found in northern California bioregions including the Klamath Ranges, North Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada forests, and coastal areas at elevations of 100 to 1,220 meters in disturbed areas, open slopes, and redwood/Douglas-fir forests. Flowering during summer, this plant produces striking red-purple flowers with delicate obovate petals and small awl-like appendages. Growing to 15 to 45 centimeters tall with sparingly branched stems, it displays a distinctively dense silky-hairy texture covering its entire structure. Its leaves range from oblanceolate basal leaves 9 to 15 centimeters long to narrower elliptic cauline leaves 5 to 15 centimeters in length, creating a soft, silvery-green backdrop for its vibrant blooms. The plant produces small, nearly spherical seeds approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters in size with rounded, elongated tubercles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Southeastern European species naturalized from cultivation; distinctive silvery indument with bright flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, open slopes, redwood/Douglas-fir forests
Elevation: 100-1220 m
California counties: Alameda, Butte, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Shasta, El Dorado, Nevada, Mendocino, Plumas, Mariposa, Napa, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Marin, San Mateo, Sacramento, Sonoma, Tuolumne
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho, Utah, also eastern North America, native to southeastern Europe
Bloom period
Lychnis coronaria blooms Summer.
How to tell it apart
vs Agrostemma: Lychnis has short calyx lobes under 4mm; Agrostemma has dramatic 15-30mm calyx lobes extending far beyond petals.; vs Silene: Lychnis is densely woolly-white throughout; Silene ranges from hairless to moderately hairy but never densely tomentose.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lychnis coronaria native to California?
No. Lychnis coronaria is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lychnis coronaria bloom?
Lychnis coronaria blooms Summer.
Where in California does Lychnis coronaria grow?
Lychnis coronaria occurs in Alameda, Butte, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Shasta, El Dorado, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of 100-1220 m.
What plant family does Lychnis coronaria belong to?
Lychnis coronaria is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Lychnis.
What habitat does Lychnis coronaria grow in?
Lychnis coronaria grows in Disturbed areas, open slopes, redwood/Douglas-fir forests.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.