Bought this starting to bloom at end of April at my semi-local garden center. Says blooms in Spring only so I hesitated but it was so pretty & a native so I wanted to try it. I don't even have it in the ground yet & it's still putting out blooms. Needless to say, I bought another one when I went back.

I snipped off one of the dying, dangling pods & split it open to check it out. Had little "white" seeds in it that were "gooey". I later split a more dryed pod & the seeds were brown & fell out, readily.

Has anyone had any luck with starting this from seed & any tips on harvesting are much appreciated!!! If I have as many as I think & these are good seeds, I believe I will have some to share.

I love red & this plant is RED!!! Here is a pix:



Joni
Elwood, IL
Zone 5

Joni
I haven't been able to find this plant at ANY of our local nurseries so I haven't had a chance to grow it yet. I would think that the pods need to be fully dried before harvesting the seeds. Please keep me in mind if you have extra seed.


Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I collected seed from a friends garden last year. It isn't coming up. It probably should have been given the cold treatment. This is one of those mistakes that leaves the gardener a full year behind - darn.

Hello Joni,

I am a big fan of this plant and I have had lots of experience working with it. First of all it is really easy to grow from seed. It doesn't seem to like being divided, and my attempts have resulted in dead half plants.

The seeds mature after they have dried out. To collect the seed I used my wife's old stockings and cut them into small bag shapes to place around the seed pods. The seeds eventually dry out and fall in. However I found that it was easier to just go around and get seeds that had not fallen out just by squeezing the dried pod.

The seeds do require cold treatment or "pretend winter" as I like to call it. Otherwise, because the plant reseeds very well I just watch for the seedlings to pop up in the spring and then I dig them and move them all over the garden. I have had much luck with this method, but I am really good at identifying them when they are small.

I grow two genotypes of this plant. One from Missouri (Looks like yours) and another from northern Illinois that is taller, blooms later and has a very different growth habit. (Almost reminds me of Silene regia, but the flowers look more like virginica.) I will post some pictures when I get home from work tonight for you showing both types as well as what the seedlings look like for future reference.



Steve Kapusta

Zone 6a Windsor, Ontario
Hummingbird Bander - Ontario Hummingbird Project
www.ontariohummingbirds.ca

I enjoyed visiting your Canadian website. The plant looks interesting and pretty as well.

Thanks Steve for the info on growing Silene. It would definitely be a great candidate for wintersowing.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Ok, home from work now. So here are the images that I was speaking of:

Here is the Silene virginica from northern Illinois. Note the notches on the flower petals, the one from Missouri has only one middle notch, whereas this one has the notches on either side of the middle.

Here is its growing profile, notice the more upright growth compared with the other Silene virginica.

And last but not least the seedlings, they always send out their first leaves in an "X" or a cross type arangement. They are easy to spot once you get used to looking for them.



So anyways, these plants have lots of nectar, are very easy to grow and are quite pretty. They are however hard to find. Especially here in Ontario where they are now extinct. Either way, I have some seeds for these guys and I hope that I can collect a whole bunch more. Perhaps others would be interested in this other type of Silene virginica.


Steve Kapusta

Zone 6a Windsor, Ontario
Hummingbird Bander - Ontario Hummingbird Project
www.ontariohummingbirds.ca

Steve,
Those a great pictures of your Silene. As mentioned previously it is impossible to find any nurseries here in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area that sells Any of the Silenes. I have asked requested and begged and they all say it isn't a popular plant...duh! Maybe it would be if they had it to sell. Anyway if you should have extra seeds I would definitely be interested in a few. You can email me off list.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Penny...sure will send you some when I gather enough. Doesn't seem like that will be difficult.

Ward...Try, try again. Throw 'em in the fridge!!

Steve...thanks so much for the info. Lost my regias last year & never saw them bloom. I was determined & bought 3 more & those are growing, however, not flowering yet. Seems all Silenes I am familiar with have the most vivid colors. Can't beat that red!!! (except for maybe Salvia 'Lady in Red' & my Belize Salvia (which is just starting to bud again).

I have not seen your "tall" variety. When the pods shrink up & droop, the seeds drop out with not much effort. I will try some in the fridge & winter sow this winter & see what happens. Penny & I will be some additional testers on that!!

Here's another so so pix that didn't get downloaded last night:

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Joni
Elwood, IL
Zone 5

I think the Missouri form grows wild in a nature reserve just west of here (I'm in southwestern PA). I wonder if those plants are putting out seeds right now. I think I remember where I saw it growing some years back, but I don't know if I'd recognize the plant if it has finished blooming.

There are also native columbines there, and I really ought to take a trip to that park and try to collect a few seeds.

Kristen I think it is easier for you to grow this plant than me It's native to western Pennsylvania Here is a map



sarah merion station, Pennsylvania zone 6B

I'd love to have some seeds of the Missouri cultivar if anyone has some to share. Steve K. is generously sending me seeds of the more northern form. I'd like to try growing both. Silene virginica is listed on the USDA site as a native plant in my county.

Judy
West Tennessee
USDA Zone 7