Red campion

Silene dioica

About

Red campion is a softly hairy herb 30–90 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, ovate, pointed, with the lower ones on petioles. The flowers are bright pink or raspberry-red, 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter. Each of the five petals is deeply divided in two, and at the entrance to the flower, there is a crown of white teeth. The calyx is swollen, hairy, and often reddish.

The name 'dioica' means that male and female flowers develop on different plants. In males, the calyx is narrower, with ten veins, while in females, it is wider and more swollen, and after flowering, a capsule with bent teeth ripens inside.

Red campion blooms from May to September, with some plants flowering until frost. The flowers are open during the day and are scentless, pollinated by bumblebees and day-flying butterflies.

In the Carpathians, it is a common plant of wet meadows, forest edges, stream banks, forest roads, and tall grass areas—from the foothills to the subalpine zone. It prefers nutrient-rich soils, thriving near Sadyba, sheepfolds, and stables, alongside nettles and alpine sorrel.

At lower elevations, a similar species, Silene latifolia, grows. It has white flowers that open in the evening and are fragrant. Where both species grow together, hybrids with pale pink flowers can be found.

Where in the Carpathians

fewermore2 111 records in the Carpathians

Orange — where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0/CC BY); a blank area does not mean it is absent.

Countries: Ukraine · Slovakia · Czechia · Poland · Romania · Hungary · Austria
Mountain ranges: Bieszczady. In other countries: 🇸🇰 Lesser Fatra, 🇨🇿 Moravian-Silesian Beskids, 🇸🇰 Low Tatras, 🇸🇰 High Tatras, 🇸🇰 Greater Fatra, 🇸🇰 Western Tatras, 🇸🇰 Slovak Ore Mountains, 🇸🇰 Belianske Tatras, 🇸🇰 Volovec Mountains, 🇵🇱 Żywiec Beskids, 🇸🇰 Kysuce Beskids, 🇸🇰 Strážov Mountains, 🇸🇰 Slovak Paradise
Altitude belts: Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m) · Conifer forests (1200–1600 m)

When to see it

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Flowering
Fruit

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

Not listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine.

FAQ

What is the bright pink flower that grows by Carpathian streams?

Often it is Red campion: it has five petals, each deeply divided in two, and a swollen hairy calyx.

Why is Red campion called dioica?

Because its male and female flowers develop on different plants.

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Similar species

Fireweed (rosebay willowherb)Chamaenerion angustifoliumTall purple-pink spikes on clearings and burn sites. A good honey plant of the Carpathians, it blooms from June to September.

Herb RobertGeranium robertianumA small forest geranium with pink flowers and lace-like leaves that turn red in the sun. It grows in the shade, on rocks and walls.

Monk's rhubarbRumex alpinusMonk's rhubarb with its huge round leaves. Its thickets on the polonynas indicate where the sheepfolds and stables used to stand.

Where to meet it

Mountain ranges: Bieszczady. In other countries: 🇸🇰 Lesser Fatra, 🇨🇿 Moravian-Silesian Beskids, 🇸🇰 Low Tatras, 🇸🇰 High Tatras, 🇸🇰 Greater Fatra, 🇸🇰 Western Tatras, 🇸🇰 Slovak Ore Mountains, 🇸🇰 Belianske Tatras, 🇸🇰 Volovec Mountains, 🇵🇱 Żywiec Beskids, 🇸🇰 Kysuce Beskids, 🇸🇰 Strážov Mountains, 🇸🇰 Slovak Paradise

Trails and peaks near which naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, iNaturalist), matched by altitude and habitat. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Sources

GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata · Distribution data: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY records), iNaturalist; names and identifiers: Wikidata (CC0). Text: Karpaty.rocks, checked 11.11.2026.