Silene gallica
Small-flower catchfly, windmill pink, Windmill Pink
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Silene gallica (Small-flower catchfly) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: non-native annual, very small petals (<6mm), widespread weedy distribution.
Small-flower catchfly is a naturalized annual found in California Floristic Province in fields and disturbed areas at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from spring to early summer, this plant produces white, pink, or lavender flowers with petals less than 6 millimeters long. Growing 10 to 40 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are short-rough-hairy, it has a distinctive growth habit. Its lower leaves are oblanceolate, 1 to 3.5 centimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, gradually reducing in size toward the stem tips. The fruit is a small ovoid capsule with puberulent stalks less than 1 millimeter long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species. Key features: non-native annual, very small petals (<6mm), widespread weedy distribution.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Fields, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Napa, Ventura, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Orange, San Diego, Alameda, Del Norte, Fresno, Imperial, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo, Placer, Colusa, Yuba, El Dorado, Calaveras, Amador, Butte, San Joaquin, Plumas, Nevada, Mariposa, Contra Costa, Tehama, Glenn, Shasta, San Benito, Stanislaus, Trinity
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho, Arizona, eastern North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Silene gallica blooms Spring-early 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 gallica native to California?
No. Silene gallica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Silene gallica bloom?
Silene gallica blooms Spring-early summer.
Where in California does Silene gallica grow?
Silene gallica occurs in Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Napa, Ventura, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Silene gallica belong to?
Silene gallica is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene gallica grow in?
Silene gallica grows in Fields, disturbed areas.
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.