Red Campion Plant Care
Melandrium diurnum Fr.
Updated ยท Sources ยท How we source care data
Silene dioica, known as red campion and red catchfly, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe and introduced to the Americas.
Partial shade to full sun
At a glance
How do you care for Red Campion?
Red Campion grows best in partial shade to full sun.
Where Is the Red Campion Native To?
- Albania
- Argentina
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- The Netherlands
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
What Is the Red Campion?
Red Campion (Melandrium diurnum) belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family within the Melandrium genus. Red Campion is native to Europe and introduced to the Americas. Red Campion is also known as Campion.
Red Campion displays a low rosette, spreading ground cover growth habit, reaching up to tall with a spread of approximately . Red Campion produces small white or pink flowers in clusters.
What Light Does the Red Campion Need?
Red Campion thrives in partial shade to full sun.
Light Requirement
Partial shade to full sun
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Red Campion?
Well-draining loamy soil with added organic matter for moisture retention. Good drainage is essential for Red Campion to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Do You Repot a Red Campion?
Repot every 2-3 years in early spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a Red Campion?
Red Campion can be propagated through seeds, division of clumps.
Is the Red Campion Toxic to Pets and Children?
Pet safety not verified
The ASPCA does not list Red Campion, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Keep pets from chewing it as a precaution.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the Red Campion?
Red Campion is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, slugs. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
Keep exploring plants
Red Campion is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Melandrium genus (family Caryophyllaceae) โ search all Melandrium species in the plant lookup.
Red Campion thrives in bright light and direct sun โ see other bright-light plants.
Related Plant Care Guides
Closely related plants with similar care requirements:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Melandrium diurnum Fr., family Caryophyllaceae (first published in Bot. Not. 1842: 170 (1842)) โ World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Pet safety not verified: the ASPCA does not list Red Campion, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks โ values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link โ we check and correct reported errors.
