White Campion, Silene latifolia
(Silene latifolia) Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Fall (May – September) Location: prefers part sun and disturbed soils. Often found near waste sites, in fields, and at the edges of woods, roads and paths (general). Scattered along paths in Lower Arb succession upland forest, along paths in the Upper Arb, and throughout campus (Arb). Family: Pink (Caryophyllaceae) INVASIVE Physical Description: Five white petals, each about an inch long that radiate from the floral tube. Each is distinctly lobed into two parts and frills at the base. The bulb-like appendage (calyx) behind the blossom is hairy, deeply ridged and ranges from green to maroon. Leaves are opposite. Quick Facts: Blossoms have a sweet odor to attract pollinators, but close their petals by midday. This species is an invasive from Eurasia. It is thought to have arrived in a ship’s ballast water or in contaminated crop seeds (circa 1800). This plant is a biennial, and remains a small rosette for the first growing season.