Description
Lychnis – Viscaria – Campion – Catchfly –
There are about 20 species of biennials and perennials in this genus. They occur in sites ranging from damp meadows and woodland to alpine habitats, in Northern Temperate and arctic regions. They have erect, usually branched stems, and simple, often hairy leaves held in opposite pairs. The flat, 5 petalled, salverform to tubular or star shaped flowers occur in scarlet, purple, pink, or white, and are either solitary or held in terminal cymes or occasionally panicles. The petals are notched or deeply forked. Grow the larger perennials in a sunny border or wild garden, the smaller, alpine species in a rock garden, the biennials in an annual or herbaceous border.
Grow in any moderately fertile, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Deadhead frequently to prolong flowering. Divide in early spring.
Prone to anther smut and leaf spots.
L. flos-jovis – Flower of Jove – Flower of Jupiter – This mat forming perennial from the Central Alps grows at least 8-24″ tall and 18″ wide. From usually unbranched, erect, white hairy stems, it carries lance to spoon shaped basal and stem clasping leaves, to 4″ long. From early to late summer it bears loosely rounded cymes of 4-10 rounded, pink, white, or scarlet flowers, to 1″ across, with very slightly reflexed, notched petals.
Zones 4-8
