Ontario Wildflowers website

White Campion
Silene latifolia
(formerly Lychnis alba)

White Campion (Silene latifolia) Other common names: Bladder Campion, Evening Lychnis, White Cockle, Wide-leaved Bladder Catchfly

Other scientific names: Lychnis alba, Lychnis vespertina, Silene alba

French names: Silène à larges feuilles

Family: Pink Family (Caryophyllaceae)

Group: Campions

Distinctive features: White flower with a bladder behind it, five styles.

Similar species:
  •   Night-flowering Catchfly (Silene noctiflora) - Only has three styles. Plant sticky.

  •   Red Campion (Lychnis dioica) - Flowers red/pink.

  •   Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris) - Flowers & petals smaller, stem smooth.


Flowers: Summer;  White;  5 parts (petals);  Five styles.

Leaves: Opposite/Whorled

Habitat: Fields and Open Areas

Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 260    Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 34   

Native/Non-native: Non-native

Origin and Meaning of Names:
 Scientific Name: alba: whitelatifolia: wide or broad leaf


Photographs: 25 photographs available, of which 7 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page
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White Campion (Silene latifolia)

White Campion's white flower.

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

Side view of flower. Note the inflated bladder behind it.

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

This shows clearly the five styles that are characteristic of this species, and helps to differentiate it from Night-flowering Catchfly (Silene noctiflora).

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

Anotehr side view of a White Campion flower.

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

Flower bud.

White Campion (Silene latifolia)

White Campion seed pod.

Another way to tell White Campion apart from Night-flowering Catchfly (Silene noctiflora) is to count the teeth at the top of the seed pod. In White Campion there are 10-12 teeth. Whereas Night-flowering Catchfly (Silene noctiflora) seed pods have only six teeth. The pod at the lower right of this photo has 10 teeth.
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Range map for White Campion (Silene latifolia)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)