Silene noctiflora
Night-flowering catchfly
(c) Dmitriy Bochkov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Silene noctiflora (Night-flowering catchfly) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by . Key features: non-native, very broad leaves, long calyx lobes, net-like calyx veining.
Night-flowering catchfly is a naturalized annual found in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern California coastal areas, and expected in other regions in open, disturbed areas and fields at elevations below 1,900 meters. Flowering during summer, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers with delicate, slightly ascending blossoms. Growing 20 to 60 centimeters tall with generally erect stems that are rough-hairy and glandular toward the top, the plant has a distinctive growth habit. Its leaves are progressively smaller from bottom to top, with lower leaves 6 to 12 centimeters long and elliptic to oblanceolate, while upper leaves narrow to 1 to 7 centimeters long and lanceolate. The tiny red-brown seeds are approximately 1 millimeter long, developing in an ovoid fruit with a short 1 to 3 millimeter stalk.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species. Key features: non-native, very broad leaves, long calyx lobes, net-like calyx veining.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, disturbed areas, fields
Elevation: < 1900 m
Outside California: to Alaska, Saskatchewan, New Mexico, eastern North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Silene noctiflora 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 noctiflora native to California?
No. Silene noctiflora is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Silene noctiflora bloom?
Silene noctiflora blooms Summer.
What plant family does Silene noctiflora belong to?
Silene noctiflora is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene noctiflora grow in?
Silene noctiflora grows in Open, disturbed areas, fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.