North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Silene virginica

Silene virginica L.

fire pink

Image ID: 26627
Image by: Bridges, Edwin
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SIVI4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Silene virginica
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-03-25

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SILEN
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Silene
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Catchfly
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 700 species, of Eurasia and North America.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Morton in FNA (2005); Clausen (1939)=Z; Wilbur (1970b)=Y; Bittrich in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993). [also see Atocion and Lychnis]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: CARYOP
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Caryophyllaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Pink Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 86 genera and 2200-3000 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, nearly cosmopolitan, but mostly Northern Hemisphere.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Rabeler & Hartman in FNA (2005); Bittrich in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect to leaning perennial of woodlands, rock outcrops, crevices in cliffs and roadbanks.
STEMS: Stems branched from the plant base and covered with sticky hairs.
LEAVES: Leaves opposite, petiolate (basal) and sessile (stem), elliptical to oblong-lance-shaped, 1â€“4 in. long, smooth.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in open, branching terminal cluster; red; about 1 1/2 in. wide; consisting of 5 spreading, deeply and unevenly notched petals with a ring of small, red teeth in their center, and a tubular calyx nearly 1 in. long and covered in sticky hairs.
FRUITS: Fruit an ellisoid capsule.
COMMENTS: Similar to Silene regia (see p. xx).
HEIGHT: 12-18 in.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: April-July

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Red

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
	x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed, Dry forests, Outcrops and glades, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern & central N. America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Fire pink has showy red flowers that add vibrant color to the garden. This southeastern native perennial has low-growing rosettes of narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Established plants produce slender upright stems, each bearing a number of its starry crimson flowers. In the wild, it is seen on wooded slopes and along roadsides. Fire pink blooms prolifically in the garden when provided with good drainage and at least half a day of sun. It provides vivid accent to a border or it can be decorative in a container on a patio or deck. 2015 N.C. Wildflower of the Year.

Bloom Table Text: Fire-pink blooms April through June producing eyecatching red (and sometimes pink) blossoms that capture the attention of hummingbirds, butterflies and visitors alike. It can be found in a sunny location but also thrives in our shady woodlands. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies and the seeds attract juncos, pine siskins, and sparrows. The common name â€œFire-pinkâ€ comes not from the color pink but from the verb â€œto pinkâ€ or cut with a jagged edge, referring to the notching on the petals. Members of this genus are also often referred to as "catchfly" because the stems exude a sticky sap that prevents ants from stealing nectar without pollinating the flower.

NCBG Location: Education Center Landscape, Piedmont Habitat

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 4
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
390	HORT	2010-06-16	Heiney	View
1042	HORT	2005-08-02	Lewandowski	View
1094	HORT	2006-07-01	Bryan	View
1240	HORT	2001-06-19		View
1241	HORT	2004-06-17		View
1347	HORT	2006-07-01	Bryan	View
1384	HORT	2006-07-01	Bryan	View
1608	HORT	2005-08-02	Lewandowski	View
1609	HORT	2005-08-03	Lewandowski	View
1768	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View
2017	NPMD	2020-06-12	Kunz	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
386	2011-0277	2011-12-20	390	View
410	2013-0035	2020-01-28	0	View
2130	1986-1934			View
2480	1986-2331			View
4055	1992-0211			View
5195	1995-0314			View
5550	1995-0673			View
6312	1995-1444			View
7064	1999-0007	1999-05-17		View
7615	2000-0378	2000-11-20		View
8077	2004-0085	2004-09-09		View
8229	2004-0250	2006-05-19		View
9093	2004-0286	2006-08-23	1241	View
9380	2021-0043	2021-04-05	0	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
924	386	16	NCBG staff	2011-11-20	View
957	410	14	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
958	410	18	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
959	410	17	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
960	410	20	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
961	410	16	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
963	410	20	Liloia	2014-08-26	View
3613	2130	74	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
4213	2480	143	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
4214	2480	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
6383	4055	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7644	5195	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8064	5550	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8967	6312	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9957	7064	79	NCBG staff	1999-05-18	View
10765	7615	117	NCBG staff	1999-05-06	View
10766	7615	54	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10767	7615	146	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10768	7615	8	NCBG staff	1996-10-03	View
11349	8077	142	NCBG staff	2003-05-20	View
11498	8229	81	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
11527	9093	205	NCBG staff	2005-04-01	View
12172	386	14	Liloia	2013-03-21	View
12620	9380	228	Wait	2020-06-26	View
12621	9380	229	Wait	2020-06-26	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SIVI4
USDA Common Name: Fire Pink
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV), CAN (ON)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
COMMON NAME:
SYNONYMY:
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT:
COMMENTS:
RANGE MAP:

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Caryophyllaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Pink Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 86 genera and 2200-3000 species, herbs, shrubs, and trees, nearly cosmopolitan, but mostly Northern Hemisphere.
REFERENCE: Rabeler & Hartman in FNA (2005); Bittrich in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Silene L. (Catchfly)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 700 species, of Eurasia and North America.
REFERENCE: Morton in FNA (2005); Clausen (1939)=Z; Wilbur (1970b)=Y; Bittrich in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993). [also see Atocion and Lychnis]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Silene virginica in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Silene virginica in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Silene virginica in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Silene virginica in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Silene virginica in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Silene virginica

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 26627 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19406 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 19726 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)