Photo: J. Patrick Fischer · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

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WildflowersSeen in the wild

Silene dioica

Red Campion

Pink-red flowers brighten shaded hedges and woodland edges for months, sometimes alongside spring bluebells.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Usually flowers May–September.
Where to start: Irish woodland paths and hedgerows. Use hairiness, leaves and flowers together.
What to do when you arrive: In spring and summer, find notched pink petals along woodland edges and hedges, then check opposite leaves and hairs. Colour alone is insufficient where similar campions or hybrids occur.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Spring

Mar–May

Foliage and growth

Hairy opposite leaves produce new stems, with pink flowers from late spring.

Summer

Jun–Aug

Flowers

Deeply notched pink petals are prominent; flowers may coexist with swelling fruiting calyces.

Autumn

Sep–Nov

Seeds and spent flowers

Early autumn may retain flowers before capsules ripen and taller growth declines.

Winter

Dec–Feb

Foliage and growth

Small basal rosettes can overwinter, rather than tall stems remaining freshly green and flowering.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Fruit

Red Campion · Mature capsules with teeth around the opening. — Mature capsules with teeth around the opening.
Dominicus Johannes Bergsma. · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ License terms

Female plants produce egg-shaped capsules that open with teeth at the top.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Seeds & dispersal units

Red Campion · Dark seeds visible at the capsule opening, not an isolated seed close-up. — Dark seeds visible at the capsule opening, not an isolated seed close-up.
Ireen Trummer · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ License terms

The capsules contain numerous small, dark, kidney-shaped seeds.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety
Native Plant Trust · Silene dioica ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes

How to identify it

Five deeply notched petals can look like ten; opposite hairy leaves and tubular calyces. Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants.

Where it grows

Shaded hedges, grassy banks and woodland edges.

Growth and ecology

A perennial or biennial that can hybridise with white campion; pale pink colour is not diagnostic.

Flowering and seasons

Usually flowers May–September.

Where to look

Irish woodland paths and hedgerows. Use hairiness, leaves and flowers together.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: J. Patrick Fischer · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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