• Potted lychnis coronaria on a wooden surface with a pair of scissors in the background
  • Lychnis coronaria flower with green leaves on a blurred natural background
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Lychnis Coronaria

Lychnis Coronaria

Rose campion

$15.00
$15.00
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Pot Size/Grade

Lychnis coronaria, commonly known as Rose Campion, is a striking cottage garden perennial prized for its vibrant magenta-pink flowers and soft silver-grey foliage. Flowering from late spring through summer, the vivid blooms seem to float above the silvery leaves, creating a stunning contrast that brightens borders and attracts pollinators.

Easy to grow and exceptionally drought tolerant once established, Lychnis coronaria thrives in sunny gardens and poor soils where many other flowering plants struggle. Its ability to self-seed gently also makes it a favourite for naturalistic and cottage-style gardens.

Why You'll Love Lychnis coronaria

  • Brilliant magenta-pink flowers
  • Attractive silver-grey foliage
  • Long flowering season through spring and summer
  • Excellent drought tolerance once established
  • Highly attractive to bees and butterflies
  • Perfect for cottage and meadow gardens
  • Thrives in poor soils
  • Easy-care and low maintenance

  • Expected 5 Year Height 0.8 M Width 0.6 M

Is Lychnis Coronaria suitable for my garden?

Lychnis Coronaria is best suited in a position that gets

  • Full sun

Lychnis Coronaria is

  • Perennial
  • Flowering
  • Attracts pollinators
  • Frost Tolerant
  • Drought resistant
  • Fast-growing
  • Cold hardy
  • Evergreen

Lychnis Coronaria will thrive in soil that is

  • Normal
  • Free draining

How to establish your Lychnis Coronaria?

Plant Lychnis coronaria in a full sun position.

For best performance:

Choose a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight daily.
Full sun promotes the strongest silver foliage colour and heaviest flowering.
Avoid heavily shaded locations.

How to maintain your Lychnis Coronaria once established?

Water regularly until established.

Once established, Lychnis coronaria is highly drought tolerant and generally only requires watering during prolonged dry periods.

Too much water can encourage excessive leafy growth.

This plant prefers relatively lean soils.

For best results:

Apply compost lightly in spring if desired.
Use minimal fertiliser.
Avoid heavy feeding, which can reduce flowering performance.

Deadheading can help prolong flowering.

Simply:

Remove spent blooms regularly.
Encourage additional flowers.
Maintain a tidy appearance.

Alternatively, leave some flower heads to mature if you wish to encourage natural self-seeding.

After Flowering
Remove spent flower stems.
Tidy any damaged foliage.
Cut back older plants if required.

Remove untidy growth.
Fresh foliage will emerge as temperatures warm.
Self-Seeding

Lychnis coronaria often self-seeds gently around the garden.

This makes it ideal for:

Cottage gardens
Meadow plantings
Informal borders

Seedlings are easy to relocate or remove if desired.

Lychnis coronaria is highly frost hardy and performs well throughout New Zealand.

Winter care is minimal:

Ensure good drainage.
Remove damaged foliage if necessary.
Allow plants to naturally regenerate each season.

Lychnis coronaria can be grown successfully in larger containers.

For best results:

Use a free-draining potting mix.
Position in full sun.
Water sparingly once established.
Avoid overfeeding.
Companion Plants

Lychnis coronaria combines beautifully with:

Lavender
Salvia New Dimension
Nepeta Blue Wonder
Verbena bonariensis
Geum Mrs Bradshaw
Penstemon Arabesque Pink
Echinacea
Ornamental grasses

The silver foliage and vivid flowers provide a stunning contrast to purple, blue, white and yellow-flowering perennials.
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