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Silene virginica
Also called Virginia Campion, Virginia Catchfly, Scarlet Catchfly
Fire pink is a short-lived native perennial wildflower of eastern and central North America, known for brilliant red flowers in late spring and early summer. It is grown in rock gardens and border fronts and needs well-drained soil with a mix of sun and shade.
Silene virginica, the fire pink, is a perennial wildflower native to eastern and central North America that belongs to the pink family, Caryophyllaceae. Fire pink, known for its distinct, brilliant-red flowers, begins blooming in late spring and stays in bloom throughout the summer.
Fire pink grows in central and eastern North America, ranging as far west as Texas, as far south as Florida, and as far north as southern Ontario. While thought of as a fairly common species in the heart of its range, Fire pink is considered rare on the outskirts of its range. It is protected as a state endangered species in Wisconsin, Florida, and Michigan. It is imperiled in Louisiana.
Traditionally, the fire pink was used medicinally by Native Americans and European settlers. The root of fire pink was used by the Cherokee people as a primary remedy for snakebite. Its roots were also decocted and used as a medicine for intestinal worms. Fire pink was used by the Iroquois tribes as an antibacterial medicine. Other tribes say that the fire pink is poisonous.
Moss campion · Silene acutifolia · Egyptian Campion · Silene akaisialpina · Kamalo Gulch catchfly · Pink Family · Silene amoena · Silene andicola · Silene andryalifolia · Sleepy silene · Naked catchfly · Silene apetala
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Silene virginica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
