Bladder Campion - Silene vulgaris
Irish name - Coireán cuile
Pink family - Caryophyllaceae
Bladder Campion is a grassland perennial present in most of Europe. It is native to Northern Ireland, although it is more common the further south you are. It can be found in roadsides, arable land, grassy slopes and even waste places, avoiding acid soil.
Bladder Campion is related to Sea Campion (Silene uniflora), but easily distinguished from it. The first long, sprawling, branched flowering shoots of Bladder Campion are sent out in spring. White flowers appear from May to September and make this plant very easy to recognise during the summer. The calyx or sepal tube in these flowers is ovoid, inflated and bladder-like hence its name. It remains together with the anthers when the flower dies. It finally turns brown but maintains its bladder shape, which covers and protects the seed capsule. The seeds ripen from July to September.
The flowers of Bladder Campion are dioecious: individual flowers are either male or female. However, only one sex can be found on any one plant so both must be grown if seed is required. The scientific name Silene probably refers to Silenus, the drunken, merry, Greek god of the woodlands.
Propagation
From seed
For best results, sow seeds in early spring in a cold frame. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. When you have a sufficient amount of seed, you can make an outdoor sowing in situ.
By division
Division is best done in spring. The larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. It’s best to pot up smaller divisions and to grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once well established in the summer.
The following grow in similar habitats (alphabetical by common name)
- Bird's-foot-trefoil
- Common Dog Violet
- Cuckooflower
- Devil's-bit Scabious
- Field Scabious
- Goat's-beard
- Harebell
- Knapweed
- Lady's Bedstraw
- Meadowsweet
- Ox-eye Daisy
- Primrose
- Self-heal
- Teasel
- Yarrow
Permission from the landowner - and, if the site holds any kind of designation, from Environment & Heritage Service too - must be sought before collecting plant material (including seeds).