Rose Campion: Add Sparkle to Your Garden

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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 an easy-to-grow perennial with stunning, eye-catching bright pink petals and silvery foliage.

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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.

It blooms from mid-spring through late summer, with deadheading, adding 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 easily from seeds directly sown in the garden. (some consider it weedy because it does reseed so easily)

I happen to like that attribute so I 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.

Spread the seed on the surface of bare soil and walk on it, this firms it in well. Sprinkle a fine layer of soil or sieved compost over the seeds and again walk across it. With a fine mist spray the area with water to get the party started of germination. Don’t worry about the cold, they love it!

Starting them from seed indoors is easy too. I share how I start early in the season here.

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.

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 daily.

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

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

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 plant’s roots do not become waterlogged. Fertilizer is not necessary for Rose Campion.

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

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 effort, 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 also call them Lambs Ear because of the soft fuzzy stems and leaves but they are not a true Lambs Ear (Stachys byzantine)

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