Silene greenei

Campanulate campion

Silene greenei (Campanulate campion), native California herb

(c) Mark Pollock, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence

Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native

Silene greenei (Campanulate campion) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family.

Campanulate campion is a California native perennial herb found in rocky or open habitats at elevations of 5 to 40 centimeters. Flowering from early summer to fall, this plant produces white to pale pink or greenish flowers with delicate linear petals that nod or spread slightly. Growing with erect stems that are glabrous to slightly hairy, it develops multiple branches from a woody caudex. Its leaves vary distinctively from lower rounded or lanceolate forms to upper linear or ovate shapes, measuring 1 to 5 centimeters long and 2 to 30 millimeters wide. The fruit is an ovoid structure with a short puberulent stalk, bearing brown seeds approximately 2 to 2.5 millimeters long.

Habitat and range

California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Shasta, Colusa, Glenn, Lake

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 greenei native to California?

Yes. Silene greenei is native to California (recorded as native).

Where in California does Silene greenei grow?

Silene greenei occurs in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Shasta, Colusa, Glenn, Lake.

What plant family does Silene greenei belong to?

Silene greenei is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.

Related species

Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.

All Silene species · All Caryophyllaceae

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.