How to Grow Rose Campion
For a pretty flower that is easy to grow, try rose campion. With soft, silver-gray foliage and flower stems that grow 12 to 16 inches tall, rose campion produces deep red or magenta flower. There is also a white flower variety. A short-lived flower, rose campion self-seeds easily and spreads profusely. Suitable for USDA zones 4 to 9. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select the site for the rose campion. This plant grows best in full sunlight, but can tolerate some shade for part of the day. The only real soil requirement is that it be well-draining. It does not need to be especially rich, nor does it need amending in any way.
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Plant the rose campion in the spring. Till up the soil and remove rocks and any garden debris. Dig a hole that is larger than the plant’s container. Remove the rose campion carefully from the container and put it in the hole. Fill the hole with the soil and tamp it down gently to remove air bubbles. Water gently to settle the soil. Space them 12 to 15 inches apart.
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Water the rose campion regularly, but do not overwater. Apply a light dressing of complete plant food in the early spring. This plant has no known problems with pests or diseases. However, soggy soil due to overwatering or prolonged rain can cause rotting.
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Watch for the rose campion to bloom beginning in mid-summer and continuing into early fall. They self-seed freely so if you don’t want this, control it by deadheading as soon as the flower fades. Remove spent flower stems by cutting them completely to the ground. As pretty as they are, these flowers are not suitable for cutting.
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Propagate the rose campion by either allowing it to self-seed or by dividing in the spring. Plants resulting from self-seeding may look different from the parent plant. Divide the plant by digging it up, dividing the clumps, discarding the older sections that do not appear healthy and replanting the new divisions. Space new plantings 8 inches apart.
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Tips & Warnings
Rose campion can be grown in borders or as part of a perennial garden.
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Comments
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Was looking up rose campion to verify the name of this plant that comes up every year in our semi-wild garden. The description "deer resistant" caught my eye. We do not have the d--r problem, possibly because there used to be cougar nests in the cliff below us. But here's a good plant for my friends who do have to contend with hungry deer.
