Mountain Flower

Silene vulgaris, commonly called bladder campion, is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, Asia, but has escaped cultivation and naturalized over time in North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia south to Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and California. It is a weedy herbaceous perennial that is typically found in the wild along roadsides, mountains area. Plants are glaucous and deeply taprooted. They grow to 12-18” tall on upright stems clad with lanceolate to oblong leaves (to 3” long) that often clasp the stem. White flowers bloom in clusters from spring to mid-summer. Each flower (to 1” across) has 5 deeply notched white petals and a prominently veined, greenish-pink, bladder-like calyx. This species is distinguished from other genus plants by this swollen calyx which is referred to in its common name. Silene vulgaris is synonymous with Silene cucubalus.