Silene douglasii var. douglasii
Douglas' catchfly
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Silene douglasii var. douglasii (Douglas' catchfly) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: mountain perennial, 2-lobed petals (<1/2 limb), stamens = petal claws.
Douglas' catchfly is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in open areas, scrub, oak woodland, and conifer forest at elevations of 1,400 to 2,900 meters. Flowering during summer, this plant produces white to pink or pale purple flowers with delicate petal lobes. Growing 10 to 40 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are softly hairy, it develops a caudex with few to many branches. Its leaves are distinctively shaped, with lower leaves 2 to 6 centimeters long and 2 to 8 millimeters wide, lanceolate to oblanceolate, gradually becoming smaller and more linear toward the stem's upper portions. The fruit is an oblong to ovoid capsule borne on a short puberulent stalk.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 31 sympatric species. Key features: mountain perennial, 2-lobed petals (<1/2 limb), stamens = petal claws.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open areas, scrub, oak woodland, conifer forest
Elevation: 1400-2900 m
California counties: El Dorado, Placer, Alpine, Butte, Modoc, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou
Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming
Bloom period
Silene douglasii var. douglasii blooms Summer.
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 douglasii var. douglasii native to California?
Yes. Silene douglasii var. douglasii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Silene douglasii var. douglasii bloom?
Silene douglasii var. douglasii blooms Summer.
Where in California does Silene douglasii var. douglasii grow?
Silene douglasii var. douglasii occurs in El Dorado, Placer, Alpine, Butte, Modoc, Nevada, Shasta, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 1400-2900 m.
What plant family does Silene douglasii var. douglasii belong to?
Silene douglasii var. douglasii is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene douglasii var. douglasii grow in?
Silene douglasii var. douglasii grows in Open areas, scrub, oak woodland, conifer forest.
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.