Add Some Sparkle to Your Garden with Rose Campion

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If you’re looking to add some pizzazz to your garden this year, why not try growing rose campion (Lychnis coronaria)?

Rose campion is a stunning, eye-catching flower with bright pink petals and silvery foliage.

rose campion with daisies and rudbeckia in a cottage garden

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You can also grow it in white or a soft bi-color version of pink and white.

This short-lived perennial flower is a bright and beautiful addition to any garden and it attracts butterflies.

It’s hardy, low maintenance, and perfect for beginner gardeners.

lychnis coronaria occulata, rose campion in a white with pink center

It blooms from mid-spring through late summer, with deadheading, so it will add color and life to your garden all season long!

The flowers are also great for cutting—they make gorgeous bouquets and centerpieces.

Here’s how to get started growing this beautiful flower.

How to Plant Rose Campion


Rose campion grows in clumps and grows so easily from seeds directly sown in the garden that some consider it weedy.

I happen to like that attribute and just edit out the volunteers that pop up in areas I don’t want them.

Or if you prefer you can start indoors in Spring to plant out as soon as the last frost has passed.

Rose Campion

Where to Plant Rose Campion (Lychnis Coronaria)

Rose campion thrives in full sun, but it can also handle partial shade.

Select an area of your garden that gets at least four hours of direct sunlight every day.

In hotter climates, they do appreciate some afternoon shade during the hottest months.

rose campion occulata, white with pink center flower

Once you have selected an area for your rose campion, simply scatter the seeds in early spring or late fall directly onto the soil surface.

If planting small seedlings leave about 4 inches between each seedling.

Also keep in mind that rose campion can spread quickly, so give it plenty of room or contain it with a border.

The winter sowing method also works for growing rose campion from seed.

All the best tips

Winter Sowing for Beginners

This budget-friendly way of seed sowing gets you lots of flowers and earlier blooming from some of your favorite perennials, biennials, and annual flowers.

Caring for Your Rose Campion

Rose campions are easy to care for once they are planted.

They are drought tolerant once established and often grow along roadsides and in ditches.

You should water it regularly during its first growing season and then occasionally after that.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t handle a bit of summer watering.

Just be sure the plants roots do not become waterlogged.

Fertilizer is not necessary for Rose Campion.

But most of my soil is quite healthy which does contribute to very vigorous plants and less need for any fertilizers.

All the best tips

Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants

Build your soil organically and limit the need for buying pricey fertilizers and amendments! It’s easy and budget-friendly.

As far as maintenance goes, rose campion doesn’t need much attention once it’s established.

Deadheading the spent blooms will encourage more flowering throughout the season.

The good news is that rose campion is generally quite resistant to pests and diseases, making for easy care.

They are also deer resistant, a big win. I don’t know about rabbits though.

Mulching around the base of the plant each Fall before wet weather begins will help to restrain the rampant reseeding that some find annoying.

In my garden they are shallow-rooted and quite easy to pull up.

Rose campion plants are a great choice for beginner gardeners because they’re both attractive and easy-to-care-for plants!

With just a bit of tender loving care, you can enjoy their beautiful blooms all summer long – what could be better?

So why not give these easy perennials a try? You won’t regret it!

Happy gardening!

Fun fact: Rose campions were once called Mullein Pink and Lamp Flower, as the felted leaves at one time were used in the making of wicks.

Many call them Lambs Ear because of the soft fuzzy stems and leaves but they are not a true Lambs Ear (Stachys byzantina)

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