How to Plant and Grow Campion
This hardy perennial with silver-gray foliage and neon-color flowers doubles as a groundcover after the bloom.
Grown as much for its silver-gray foliage as for its neon-color flowers, campion provides excellent color and contrast in perennial borders and beds. Once the flowers bloom in late spring to early summer, the stems can be cut back, and the foliage forms a groundcover for the remainder of the growing season.
Campion has neon-color blossoms in magentas, oranges, and reds as well as white. Some of the pink varieties are so intense that the flowers seem to glow. The bright and showy blossoms develop singularly, in pairs, or in clusters. These showy flowers are vibrant but short-lived; each bloom lasts just a day. Some varieties of campion have dark green foliage instead of the typical silver-gray.
Where to Plant Campion
The best location for campion is a location in full sun with well-drained soil and slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.
In addition to perennial borders and beds, Campion is also at home in rock gardens, wildflower meadows, and cottage gardens.
How and When to Plant Campion
Potted plants from a nursery can be planted in the spring or summer. Dig a hole that is about twice as wide as the root system and has the same depth. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with the original soil. Gently tamp it down and water well. To plant it from seed, start in the fall or winter because the seeds need cold stratification (see Propagation for details).
Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart depending on the mature size of the variety.
Campion Care Tips
Light
While campion thrives in full sun, it can tolerate partial shade but will produce fewer blooms.
Soil and Water
Campion prefers moist soil but can handle average, medium soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. It does require soil that will drain well in the winter, as too much moisture causes root rot.
During extended dry periods, campion will benefit from the occasional supplemental watering.
Temperature and Humidity
Campion is a winter-hardy plant; some types can be grown in as low as Zone 3. It is less suitable for extremely hot summer climates. It does not have any humidity preferences. Most types thrive in locations with cooler summers.
Fertilizer
Campion does not need any fertilizer. If the soil at the planting location is poor, enrich it with compost before planting.
Pruning
Campion seeds itself freely about the garden, so you may want to control its spread by deadheading flowers immediately after they bloom, which also encourages more flowers.
In late fall or early winter, prune campion by cutting back to one-third of its original size.
Potting and Repotting Campion
To grow campion in pots, make sure to use a pot with large drainage holes and fill it with well-draining potting mix. Keep in mind that potted plants require more frequent watering than plants in the landscape.
Even if the campion variety is winter-hardy in your zone, the roots of potted plants need winter protection. Insulate the pot by burying it in the ground or wrap the pot with bubble wrap or burlap for insulation. You can also place the pot in a large pot and fill the space with mulch to create an insulating silo.
Pests and Problems
Campion is unbothered by serious pests and diseases. It is also deer-resistant.
How to Propagate Campion
Campion seeds itself freely, which makes propagation a cinch. Leave the soil undisturbed after the bloom and don’t mulch around the plants—the seeds need some light to germinate. If you're sowing seeds yourself, scatter them over the soil in a weed-free, well-marked location and press them into the soil; do not cover them. When the seedlings emerge in the spring, thin them out to a spacing of 12 to 15 inches between plants or dig up the seedlings and transplant them in desired locations. Campion grown from seed will flower in its second year.
Otherwise, you can start campion from seed in the spring if you stratify the seeds beforehand. To do so, in late winter (or 8-10 weeks before your average last frost date) sow seeds on the surface of a container filled with moist soil. Seal the container inside a plastic bag. Put the bag in the refrigerator (check periodically to ensure soil remains moist). After 3-4 weeks, remove the container and place it, still covered, on a heat mat under grow lights or in a sunny spot to provide warmth. Continue to provide moisture. When germination occurs (it can take up to 3 weeks), remove the plastic cover and allow the seedlings time to grow before hardening off and planting in the garden.
Types of Campion
Rose Campion
Lychnis coronaria is a campion with woolly silver leaves that form a brilliant contrast to its 1-inch screaming magenta flowers. It is a short-lived perennial that seeds itself freely. It may reach 3 feet tall. Zones 3-8
'Alba' Campion
This is a cultivar of Lychnis coronaria with crisp white blooms over silvery grey foliage. Zones 3-8
'Lumina Bronze Leaf Red' Campion
Lychnis x haageana is a short-lived hybrid perennial with bright red flowers over contrasting bronze foliage. It grows 1 foot tall. Zones 4-8
'Maltese Cross' Campion
This plant is referred to by its old botanical name, Lychnis chalcedonica, as well as by its new name (since 1994), Silene chalcedonica, Another common name for it is flower of Bristol. It bears round clusters of bright scarlet-orange flowers atop leafy stems and self-seeds freely. Flowers may also be white or pink, and some are double. Pairs of rough lance-shape leaves clasp the 3-foot-tall stems. Zones 3-8
Ragged Robin Campion
This campion species with the botanical name Lychnis flos-cuculi makes basal rosettes of grassy grayish foliage. In summer, loose clusters of deeply cut rosy-lavender flowers bloom, giving a ragged effect. Ragged robin needs damp soil and is effective in wildflower gardens. It may reach 2 feet tall. Zones 3-7
Campion Companion Plants
Daylily
Daylilies are so easy to grow you'll often find them growing in ditches and fields, escapees from gardens. And yet they look so delicate, producing glorious trumpet-shape blooms in myriad colors. In fact, there are some 50,000 named hybrid cultivars in a range of flower sizes (the minis are very popular), forms, and plant heights. Some are fragrant. The flowers are borne on leafless stems. Although each bloom lasts but a single day, superior cultivars carry numerous buds on each scape so bloom time is long, especially if you deadhead daily. The strappy foliage may be evergreen or deciduous.
Salvia
There are hundreds of different types of salvias, commonly called sage, but they all tend to share beautiful, tall flower spikes and attractive, often gray-green leaves. Countless sages (including the herb used in cooking) are available to decorate ornamental gardens, and new selections appear annually. They are valued for their very long season of bloom, right up until frost. Not all are hardy in cold climates, but they are easy to grow as annuals. On square stems, clothed with often-aromatic leaves, sages carry dense or loose spires of tubular flowers in bright blues, violets, yellow, pinks, and red that mix well with other perennials in beds and borders.
Shasta Daisy
Easy, always fresh, and always eye-catching, Shasta daisy is a longtime favorite. All cultivars produce white daisy flowers in various degrees of doubleness and size. The sturdy stems and long vase life make the flowers unbeatable for cutting. Shasta daisy thrives in well-drained, not overly rich soil. Taller sorts may need staking.
Garden Plans For Campion
Slope Garden Plan
Filling a hillside with easy-care plants that help control soil erosion is a win-win for your yard. This plan is perfect for any sloped section of the yard but works especially well as a border bed next to a set of steps or an inclined path.
Download this garden plan now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is campion annual or perennial?
Campion is classified as a perennial but it tends to be fairly short-lived and in some areas, it is grown as a biennial or annual.
Why does my campion have so few flowers?
It could be the age of the plant. Most varieties of campion form a base of wooly leaves their first year, then send up flowering stems in their second season. As they self-seed, the cycle begins again with some plants flowering and others setting a new base.
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