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Catchfly/Cottage Pinks/Chimney Pinks Seeds (Certified Organic)

Planted in mass, the vivid pink blooms brighten up the garden, standing out from afar.

Availability: In stock

$3.50
All orders are hand-packaged and may take UP TO FOUR weeks to SHIP.
Thank you for your patience during this time.

Details

Also known as None-So-Pretty. Catchfly is an annual wildflower, native to Europe. Planted in mass, the vivid pink blooms brighten up the garden, standing out from afar. The flower clusters also attract hummingbirds and butterflies!

I received these seeds from a trade on Twitter in 2012. Such a gorgeous flower with a rich history. Here is the wonderful story behind the seeds that I received with them:

"Here's the story behind the Catchfly 'silene armeria', or as her mom called them, "Chimney Pinks", as best we can determine.

My wife Lynne's grandmother came over from Europe as a young child and was adopted at some point. Somewhere along the line, she came across the seeds/plants, and grew them in her gardens. She passed the seed along to Lynne's mother, who grew them in her gardens in the Mansfield, Springfield, and Wellsboro areas of PA, as well as in Kansas. Lynne then got pass-along seed from her, and continued to grow and save their seed during the 32 years she lived in Delaware. 

When Lynne moved here to NC in 1999, she brought the seed with her and got them growing here. Lynne's mom lived here with us for several years before passing away in 2010, but for those few years in NC, was able to once again see her Chimney Pinks in yet another family garden. 

Since then, they've reseeded nicely, and until a couple years ago, not much thought was given to saving their seed. Then, thanks to groups like #gardenchat and gardenweb.com, we became more aware of the fact that we actually were growing a true heirloom that we could directly trace back to the late 1800's. So now, we save and share the seed with those interested."

Michigan Seeds and Plants grown on our farm, Renegade Acres, in Howell, MI!

Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.

Additional Info

Botanical Name Silene armeria
Life Cycle Perennial
Min. Time to Germinate 15 Days
Max. Time to Germinate 20 Days
Depth to Sow Seeds Just Cover; barely cover with soil
When to Sow Indoors 6-8 weeks before last spring frost, Outdoors after all danger of spring frost is past
Growing Height 12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Plant Spacing 6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
Hardiness USDA Zone 5b: to -10F, USDA Zone 6a: to -5F, USDA Zone 6b: to 0F, USDA Zone 7a: to 5F, USDA Zone 7b: to 10F, USDA Zone 8a: to 15F, USDA Zone 8b: to 20F
Sun Exposure Full Sun, Sun to Partial Shade
Danger Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color Pink
Bloom Time Late Summer/Early Fall, Mid-Summer
Other Details Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater, Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping, This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Soil pH Requirements 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral), 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Propagation Methods From seed; direct sow after last frost, From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall, From seed; sow indoors before last frost, From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
Seed Collecting Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Seeds Per Pack 100