That IS pretty - TY - have to look that one up!

i ordered a couple of those from Prairie Moon Nursery this spring, after lusting after them in my heart.

They're doing quite well, got a first bloom on them. To me its like an easier to grow alternative to cardinal flower.

Now how come I've never seen those before? And they're native? Local nurseries don't have anything like that. And they're true RED! I must get some for my redbed!

Nice combo!

I'm growing them for the first time this year, though they seem to be struggling a bit, and haven't started blooming yet. I purchased the seeds from Diane's Flower Seeds (see link below). Thanks for the picture, it gives me something to look forward to!

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Silene regia seeds

i don't know why this one isn't offered more. yes, it's a true blazing red, it's native, although it's native range is rather restricted to parts of the upper midwest, i believe. it is tall, the one in the pic is probably around 4 feet tall, although it has a lot of competetion and may be reaching. i bought this (and a few others) from a native plant nursery not far from here. I'm not sure how old the plant was when I got it, but it took 2 more years until it bloomed. I have some from seed, but it seems like they grow very slow from seed. It is about the same red as cardinal flower, and is less fussy. I think it's native habitat is rather dry prairies and outcrops. hummingbirds like it, although they still prefer my feeder to anything. the only negative I would say about it is that the blooming season is rather short, probably 2 weeks max.

I bought seed from the same place as Bonnie and winter sowed them this year, and yes, they are slow to grow (I still have them in pots), but they did have a rough start in life when our yard flooded within an hour and I had to wade through calve high water to rescue all of my drowning sprouts! Half of them in the jug made it, and in September they'll go in the ground. I have cardinal flower (three colors, red, blue and purple) that the hummers can and do enjoy until the silene matures and flowers too.

Karen

I have a cultivar of this plant that stays in flower close to a month. Looks great with Joe-pye weed.

I'd heard of cathfly, but I had no idea this is what it looked like. What a pretty plant.