# Wild Pink (*Silene caroliniana*)

Wild Pink is a pretty flower that blooms in shades of pink. It grows in fields and along roadsides, bringing color to nature. Its sweet scent attracts butterflies and bees!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Fields and roadsides

![Wild Pink](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Silene_caroliniana_FWS-1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Dr. Thomas G. Barnes - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Original uploader was Chhe at en.wikipedia, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silene_caroliniana_FWS-1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Wild Pink has upright stems topped with clusters of striking bright pink, sometimes white, five-petaled flowers, each petal deeply notched. Its narrow, grass-like leaves grow in a basal rosette, and its upper stems are often sticky.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Caryophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Silene

## Interesting facts

- If you rub its roots with water, they can produce a mild, soapy lather!
- Its scientific name, Silene, might come from a sticky mythological Greek forest god!
- Some Native American tribes traditionally used its roots in a "love medicine."
- Wild Pink can thrive in poor, rocky soil where many other beautiful flowers struggle to grow.

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield:** Wild Pink has sticky hairs on its stems that can trap tiny crawling insects, protecting its flowers from unwelcome visitors.
- **Deep Drinker:** Wild Pink can grow a long taproot deep into the soil, helping it find water during dry spells and survive in rocky habitats.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Wild Pink's vibrant pink flowers and sweet nectar attract bees, butterflies, and other insects, ensuring its seeds are spread.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-40 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Key pollinator for Wild Pink.
- **Pollinates:** [Eastern Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding pollination.
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse the leaves and flowers.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Wild Pink?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Wild Pink?

15-40 cm

### How wide does Wild Pink spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Wild Pink?

2-3 cm

### When does Wild Pink bloom?

Spring to early Summer

### Is Wild Pink edible?

No

### Is Wild Pink toxic?

None

### What is Wild Pink's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Wild Pink: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wild-pink)