Silene bernardina
Palmer's catchfly
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Silene bernardina (Palmer's catchfly) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: high elevation, 4-lobed petals, exserted stamens, mountain habitats.
Palmer's catchfly is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and northern Desert Mountains in rocky slopes, scrub, conifer forest, and alpine habitats at elevations of 1,350 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white, pink, or purple flowers with petals 4 to 6 millimeters long and distinctive two-parted appendages. Growing 15 to 55 centimeters tall with erect stems that are puberulent and glandular, particularly toward the upper portions. Its leaves transition from lower oblanceolate leaves 2 to 8 centimeters long and 2 to 6 millimeters wide to upper linear leaves 1 to 6 centimeters long and 1 to 4 millimeters wide. The fruit is approximately elliptic, carried on a short 2 to 5 millimeter stalk, with brown seeds 1.5 to 2 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 31 sympatric species. Key features: high elevation, 4-lobed petals, exserted stamens, mountain habitats.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, scrub, conifer forest, alpine
Elevation: 1350-3600 m
California counties: Alpine, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Mono, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Tulare, Butte, Plumas, Amador, Glenn, Madera, Mendocino, Tuolumne, Ventura, Nevada, Sierra, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Mariposa, Modoc, Lake, Humboldt, Del Norte, Placer
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Baja California
Bloom period
Silene bernardina blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Spigelia: Silene has 5 separate petals in pink family arrangement; Spigelia has tubular red flowers with 5-lobed tips.; vs Pelargonium: Silene has radially symmetric flowers with 5 equal petals; Pelargonium has bilateral flowers with unequal petals.; vs Cistanthe: Silene has a tubular calyx fused around the flower; Cistanthe has 2 separate, rounded sepals that fall off.; vs Castilleja: Silene has showy petals; Castilleja's color comes from bracts hiding tiny tubular flowers.; vs Petrorhagia: Silene has an inflated, rounded calyx tube; Petrorhagia has a narrow, cylindrical calyx with papery bracts below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Silene bernardina native to California?
Yes. Silene bernardina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Silene bernardina bloom?
Silene bernardina blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Silene bernardina grow?
Silene bernardina occurs in Alpine, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Mono, San Bernardino and other counties, at elevations of 1350-3600 m.
What plant family does Silene bernardina belong to?
Silene bernardina is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene bernardina grow in?
Silene bernardina grows in Rocky slopes, scrub, conifer forest, alpine.
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.