Navigation

Silene acaulis

Caryophyllaceae

Moss Campion

Silene acaulis
Cushion. Stems branch from woody base into dense mound. Leaves mostly basal, crowded, persisting for many years, linear, with stiff sharp point at tip, with few hairs along edges or hairless, sessile. Flowers showy, 1 per stem; petals 5, pink, rose, pale lavender, or white, slightly toothed on rounded tip. Grows in rocky exposed sites, cliffs, rock crevices. Found in alpine areas of most mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Occasionally found on gravel bars, along shady streams, at lower elevations in the same mountains.

  • Rarity: Locally Common
  • Flowering Time: Early Summer, Mid Summer, Late Summer
  • Flower Form: Petals 5, Completely Free, Regular Shape, Ovary Su
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 1–2 inches
  • Habitat: Alpine
  • Found In: Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP, Wallowas
  • Native: Yes
  • Also Known As: Moss Catchfly

Map of where Silene acaulis is found