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 December
2002
 Pedicularis
kanei ssp kanei
November
2002
Crocus
tournefortii
October
2002
Cyclamen
mirabile
September
2002
Sternbergia
sicula
Colchicum
byzantinum album
August
2002
Gentiana
septemfida
July
2002
Oxytropis
shokanbetsuensis
 June
2002
Silene
caroliniana
May
2002
Jeffersonia
dubia
April
2002
Tulipa
vvedenskyi
March
2002
Draba
aizoides
February
2002
Diapensia
lapponica
January
2002
Chamaecyparis
obtusa 'Nana'
Archive 2004
Archive
2003
Archive
2001
Archive
2000
Archive
1999
Archive
1998
Archive
1997
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Plant
of the Month
June
2002
Silene
caroliniana
by Iza Goroff
Silene
caroliniana is a genus in the Caryophyllaceae, the
pink family, which it shares with Dianthus, Arenaria,
Saponaria, and other genera with rock garden species.
Silene caroliniana is an
eastern North American plant, found as far west as Missouri
and Oklahoma. Its native habitat is woodland and forest
clearings in sandy or gravely soil. Although it is split
into two varieties (v. caroliniana
and v. wherryi), the
differences are said to be strictly botanical with no major
horticultural consequences, although the flowers of
v. wherryi are said to be
slightly larger.
Silene
caroliniana grows about 8" (20 cm) tall. The pictured
plant is about 20" across. Its flowers are about 1" (2.5 cm)
in diameter. Color can vary from almost white through shades
of pink to magenta. It does make quite a show.
Silene
caroliniana is best grown in light shade (as the
plant in the photograph is) or in sun. The pictured plant is
grown in 4" (10 cm) of sand under a 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) pea
gravel mulch and over a native soil of sand, gravel, and oak
leaf mold. A rich soil might lead to overly lush growth and
an early death. It is likely to be hardy throughout most of
North America.
Silene
caroliniana is best propagated by seed. The more
adventurous might try root cuttings where a tap root is
segmented, each segment planted top side up in a sand
bed.
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