Species Profile
Not listed; common and widespread in the UK
- Lifespan
- Biennial or short-lived perennial, typically 2–3 years
- Size & Weight
- 30–90 cm tall; flowers 15–20 mm diameter with five petals
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, hedgerows, disturbed ground, and shaded habitats throughout the UK
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout Great Britain and Ireland, more common in northern and western regions; resident year-round
- Diet
- Photosynthetic plant; derives nutrients from soil and sunlight
- Predators
- Herbivorous insects including sawfly larvae and leaf beetles; slugs and snails feed on seedlings
- Mating Season
- May to August (flowering period)
- Breeding
- Dioecious species with separate male and female plants; female plants produce numerous small seeds dispersed by wind; flowers pollinated primarily by nocturnal insects including moths
- Behaviour
- Red Campion exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, with female plants producing substantially more seeds than males. The species relies on insect pollination and has adapted to flower in the evening and night to attract nocturnal pollinators. It spreads rapidly in disturbed habitats and woodland clearings.
Did You Know?- •Red Campion is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either distinctly male or female, a rare characteristic among UK wildflowers
- •The flowers remain open primarily at night, closing during the day, which is an adaptation to attract night-flying insects like moths
- •Despite being called 'Red Campion', flowers range from deep pink to bright red, and occasionally white variants occur
- •The plant produces a sticky substance on its stems which traps crawling insects, preventing them from reaching the flowers
- •It hybridises readily with White Campion (Silene latifolia) in areas where both species occur, producing pink-flowered offspring
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