# white campion (*Silene latifolia*) White campion is a pretty flower with soft white petals. It often grows in fields and gardens, bringing beauty to nature with its cheerful blooms. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 57 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![white campion](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426158/objects/1294.jpg) ## Appearance The white campion has bright white, five-petaled flowers, often deeply notched at the tips, which emerge from a green, swollen calyx. Its stems and leaves are covered in fine hairs, giving the plant a slightly fuzzy texture that makes it visually distinct. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Caryophyllaceae - **Genus:** Silene ## Interesting facts - It's one of the few plants where you can have a whole patch of 'boy' flowers and a separate patch of 'girl' flowers! - Its bright white petals act like tiny beacons, reflecting moonlight to guide night-flying moths! - Rubbing its leaves with water creates foamy suds – a natural soap from a wild plant! - The swollen part beneath its petals reminded ancient botanists of a mythical forest god's belly! ## Special abilities - **Night Perfume:** White campion has a sweet, strong scent that gets more intense at night, helping it attract nocturnal moths for pollination. - **Gendered Plants:** Some white campion plants are only male, producing pollen, while others are only female, making seeds, ensuring genetic diversity. - **Seed Sleepers:** White campion seeds can remain dormant in the soil for many years, waiting for the perfect conditions to sprout and grow. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Lychnis Moth (*Hadena bicruris*) — Main nocturnal pollinator. - **Pollinates:** European Peacock (*Aglais io*) — Daytime nectar source. - **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs and snails feed on leaves. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify white campion? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is white campion? 30-100 cm ### How wide does white campion spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on white campion? 2-3 cm ### When does white campion bloom? Late spring to fall ### Is white campion edible? No ### Is white campion toxic? Mild ### What is white campion's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Ashton Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashton-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Dinosaur Ridge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dinosaur-ridge) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark - [Loop Retail Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/loop-retail-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Miami Whitewater Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/miami-whitewater-forest) — Ohio, US · Park - [Michigan–Wacker Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/michigan-wacker-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District [View all places to see white campion](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-campion) ## Watch - [Play video: white campion](https://www.snappit.app/videos/white-campion) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=T7INBiQZlQU) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [White Campion: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-campion)