Silene vulgaris
Bladder campion
(c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Silene vulgaris (Bladder campion) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by inflated papery calyx diagnostic, deeply divided petals.
Bladder campion is a naturalized perennial herb found in California's Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California coast, and Cascade Range in open areas and fields at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from summer to fall, this plant produces white flowers with deeply notched petals in flat-topped clusters. Growing 20 to 80 centimeters tall with decumbent to erect stems that are glabrous or slightly glaucous, it has a short rhizome and few caudex branches. Its leaves gradually reduce in size upward, with lower leaves 4 to 8 centimeters long and 5 to 20 millimeters wide, lanceolate to oblanceolate, and upper leaves 3 to 4.5 centimeters long and 5 to 15 millimeters wide, lanceolate to ovate. The fruit is a nearly spherical capsule with a short 2 to 3 millimeter stalk, containing small black seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; inflated papery calyx diagnostic, deeply divided petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open areas, fields
Elevation: < 1200 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Solano, Butte, Santa Cruz, Marin, Yolo, Trinity, Alameda
Outside California: to Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan, Idaho, Arizona, eastern North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Silene vulgaris blooms Summer-fall.
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 vulgaris native to California?
No. Silene vulgaris is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Silene vulgaris bloom?
Silene vulgaris blooms Summer-fall.
Where in California does Silene vulgaris grow?
Silene vulgaris occurs in Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of < 1200 m.
What plant family does Silene vulgaris belong to?
Silene vulgaris is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Silene.
What habitat does Silene vulgaris grow in?
Silene vulgaris grows in Open areas, fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Silene antirrhina — Sleepy catchfly
- Silene aperta — Naked catchfly
- Silene bernardina — Palmer's catchfly
- Silene bolanderi — Bolander's catchfly
- Silene bridgesii — Bridges' catchfly
- Silene conoidea — Large sand catchfly
- Spergula arvensis — Stickwort
- Spergula sp. — Spurrey
- Spergularia atrosperma — Black seed sand-spurrey
- Spergularia bocconi — Boccone's sand-spurrey
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.