Silene lemmonii
Lemmon's catchfly
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Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Silene lemmonii (Lemmon's catchfly) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: nodding flowers, 4 linear petal lobes, woolly petal claws, much-exserted styles.
Lemmon's catchfly is a native perennial herb found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Santa Cruz Mountains, southern Coastal Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Modoc Plateau in oak woodland and conifer forest at elevations of 850 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces delicate yellow-white to pink flowers with 4-lobed petals 4 to 8 millimeters long, nodding gracefully on glandular stems. Growing 15 to 45 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are short-hairy below and glandular above, it develops a few caudex branches. Its leaves transition dramatically up the stem, with basal leaves elliptic to oblanceolate, 2 to 3.5 centimeters long and 8 to 10 millimeters wide, becoming progressively smaller and narrower toward the stem's top. The fruit is an oblong to ovoid structure carried on a short 2 to 3 millimeter puberulent stalk.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species. Key features: nodding flowers, 4 linear petal lobes, woolly petal claws, much-exserted styles.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Oak woodland, conifer forest
Elevation: 850-2800 m
California counties: Butte, San Bernardino, Trinity, Mariposa, Monterey, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Tuolumne, Amador, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Modoc, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Lake, Mono, San Benito, Nevada, Napa
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Silene lemmonii blooms Spring-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 lemmonii native to California?
Yes. Silene lemmonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Silene lemmonii bloom?
Silene lemmonii blooms Spring-summer.
Where in California does Silene lemmonii grow?
Silene lemmonii occurs in Butte, San Bernardino, Trinity, Mariposa, Monterey, Placer, Plumas, Sierra and other counties, at elevations of 850-2800 m.
What plant family does Silene lemmonii belong to?
Silene lemmonii is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene lemmonii grow in?
Silene lemmonii grows in 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.