Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum), Red campion, Red catchfly

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 8 min read

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Article Summary

Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum), commonly known as red campion and red catchfly is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The plant is native throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina. Some of the well-known common names of the plant are Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle,...

Key Takeaways

This article explains Red Campion Facts in simple medical language.
This article explains Red Campion Scientific Classification in simple medical language.
This article explains Plant Description in simple medical language.
This article explains Some Facts in simple medical language.

Educational health guideWritten for patient understanding and clinical awareness.

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Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Seek urgent medical care if you notice

These warning signs are general safety guidance. Local emergency numbers and clinical judgment should always come first.

Severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening illness.
New weakness, severe pain, high fever, or symptoms after a serious injury.
Any symptom that feels urgent, unusual, or unsafe for the patient.

Emergency now

Use emergency care for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening symptoms.

See a doctor

Book a professional medical evaluation if symptoms persist, worsen, recur often, affect daily activities, or occur in a high-risk patient.

Learn safely

Use this article to understand possible causes, tests, treatment options, prevention, and questions to ask your clinician.

Silene dioica (syn. Melandrium rubrum), commonly known as red campion and red catchfly is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The plant is native throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina. Some of the well-known common names of the plant are Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin, Lord, God of Blood, Red Night Elke, Red Forest Elke and Taglicht Elke.

Silene, the genus name, is a reference to the Greek woodland god Silenus the foster father of Bacchus, who was often depicted covered in a sticky foam and whose name in turn comes from the Greek word for saliva; the female flowers of Red Campion secrete a frothy foam that captures pollen from insects that come to the flowers to gather nectar. The specific epithet dioica means ‘two houses’, and signifies that separate plants bear the male and the female flowers.

Red Campion Facts

Name	Red campion
Scientific Name	Silene dioica
Native	Throughout central, western and northern Europe, and locally in southern Europe. It has been introduced in Iceland, Canada, the US, and Argentina
Common Names	Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin, Lord, God Of Blood, Red Night Elke, Red Forest Elke, Taglicht Elke
Name in Other Languages	Armenian: Hamaspram (Համասպրամ) Belarusian: Smalianka (Смалянка) Bulgarian: Dvudomno plyuskaviche (двудомно плюскавиче) Catalan: Melandri vermell Chinese: Hong jian qiu luo Croatian: Crveni golesak, crvena pušina Czech: Silenka dvoudomá, knotovka červená, silenka červená Danish: Dag-Pragtstjerne Dutch: Dagkoekoeksbloem English: Morning campion, Red campion, Red catchfly, Red cockle, rough robin Estonian: Punane pusurohi Finnish: Puna-ailakki French: Compagnon-rouge, Lychnis dioïque, Lychnis fleur de coucou, Silène dioïque, Silène rouge, ivrogne, lychnis du jour, mélandrie du jour, robinet rose, robinet rouge Georgian: Sast’vena (სასტვენა) German: Rote Waldnelke, Rote Lichtnelke, rote Tagnelke, rote Nachtnelke Hungarian: Piros mécsvirág Icelandic: Dagstjarna Irish: Coireán coilleach Italian: Silene dioica, femerone rosso, gittaione rosso, gittone rosso Japanese: Reddokyanpion (レッドキャンピオン), Akebonosen’nou (アケボノセンノウ) Latvian: Sarkanā spulgotne Lithuanian: Raudonžiedis šakinys, raudonžiedė naktižiedė Norwegian: Rød jonsokblom, Aaker-nelliker, Rødfot-græs, Vilde-nelliker, Raud jonsokblom, Ruksesluffellaš, Guppaslieđđi, Ruksesluffilasta, Ruksesrássi Polish: Bniec czerwony Russian: Droma dvudomnaya (Дрёма двудомная), smolovka lesnaya (смолёвка лесная) Scottish Gaelic: Cìrean-choilich, Cìrein-choilich Slovak: Silenka červená, knôtovka červená, silenka dvoudomá Slovene: Rdeči slizek Spanish: Borbonesa, colleja rocha Swedish: Rödblära, Skogslyse, Skoglyst rödblära, Skogslyst Turkish: Catal nakıl Ukrainian: Kukolytsya dvodomna (куколиця дводомна) Walloon: Brin-d’-leu Welsh: Blodau Neidr, Blodeuyn Rhudd, Blodyn Crach, Blodyn Neidr, Blodyn Taranau, Blodyn y Neidr, Botwm Mab Leuanc, Ceiliog Coch, Coch y Taranau, Gludlys Coch, Lluglys Blodeuyn Rhudd, Lluglys Ysgar, Llys yr Ychain, Llys yr Ychen, Llysiau Robin
Plant Growth Habit	Hairy, short-lived herbaceous biennial or perennial flowering plant
Growing Climates	Woods, hedgerows, ledges of cliffs, deciduous woodlands, woodland margins and clearings, gardens, riverbanks, open waste places, rocky slopes, stabilized screes, seashore, broad-leaved forests, coppices, yards, banks, wasteland, fell precipices
Soil	Prefers fertile, well drained, non-acid, base-rich or calcareous soils
Plant Size	Up to 20cm tall and erect flowering stems 30 – 90cm tall
Stem	Erect, simple or basally branched, 20–90 cm high
Leaf	20–90 mm long, 3–45 mm wide; basal leaves long-petiolate, obovate-oblong; cauline leaves oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate, shortly petiolate to subsessile, petiole 0–30 mm long
Flowering season	May to June
Flower	Dark pink to red flowers, each 1.8-2.5 cm across. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn-shaped calyx. As indicated by the specific name, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants
Fruit Shape & Size	Broadly ovoid to globose capsule 10–15 mm long containing numerous seeds, opening at the apex by 10 teeth which curve back
Seed	Dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1-1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate
Propagation	By seed or by division
Plant Parts Used	Leaves, Blütten, Seeds, Roots
Season	June to August
Traditional Uses	In some countries the crushed seeds of Red Campion have traditionally been used to treat snakebites.

Red Campion Scientific Classification

Scientific Name: Silene dioica

Rank	Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Infrakingdom	Streptophyta (land plants)
Sub Division	Spermatophytina (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
Class	Magnoliopsida
Super Order	Caryophyllanae
Order	Caryophyllales
Family	Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Genus	Silene L. (catchfly)
Species	Silene dioica (L.) Clairville (red catchfly)
Synonyms	Agrostemma sylvestris (Schkuhr) G.Don Lychnis dioica L Lychnis rubra Patze, E.Mey. & Elkan Lychnis sylvestris Schkuhr Melandrium dioicum (L.) Coss. & Germ Melandrium dioicum subsp. rubrum D. Löve Melandrium diurnum Fr Melandrium intermedium Schur Melandrium pratense Röhl Melandrium purpureum Rupr Melandrium rubrum Garcke Melandrium stenophyllum Schur Melandrium sylvestre (Schkuhr) Röhl Saponaria dioica (L.) Moench Silene diurna Gren. & Godr Silene hornemannii Fenzl Silene rubra E.H.L.Krause

Plant Description

Red campion is a hairy, short-lived, herbaceous biennial or perennial flowering plant that normally grows up to 20 cm tall, and erect flowering stems are 30 – 90 cm tall. The plant is found growing in woods, hedgerows, ledges of cliffs, deciduous woodlands, woodland margins and clearings, gardens, yards, banks, riverbanks, open waste places, rocky slopes, stabilized screes, seashore, broad-leaved forests, coppices, wasteland, and fell precipices. The plant prefers fertile, well-drained, non-acid, base-rich, or calcareous soils. Stems are erect, simple or basally branched, 20–90 cm high.

Leaves

Leaves are 20–90 mm long and 3–45 mm wide. Basal leaves are long-petiolate, obovate-oblong and cauline leaves are oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate, shortly petiolate to subsessile. The petiole is 0–30 mm long. Both the leaves and stems of the plant are hairy and slightly sticky. The upper leaves are stalkless.

Flowers

It is a biennial or perennial plant, with dark pink to red flowers, each 1.8-2.5 cm across. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn-shaped calyx. As indicated by the specific name, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants (dioecious), the male with 10 stamens and a 10-veined calyx, the female with 5 styles and a 20-veined calyx. The flowers are unscented. The flowering period is from May to October and the flowers are frequently visited by flies, like Rhingia campestris.

Fruit

The fruit, produced from July onwards, is a broadly ovoid to globose capsule 10–15 mm long containing numerous seeds, opening at the apex by 10 teeth which curve back. Seeds are dark-brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate.

Some Facts

The root is used as a soap substitute for washing clothes etc.
The soap is obtained by simmering the root in hot water.
In the Language of Flowers red campion symbolizes gentleness.

References

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

Write when the problem started and how it changed.
Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
Basic physical examination by a clinician
CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

Rest, drink safe water, and observe symptoms carefully.
Keep a written note of symptoms, duration, temperature, medicines already taken, and allergy history.
Seek medical care quickly if symptoms are severe, worsening, or unusual for the patient.

OTC medicine safety

For mild pain or fever, ask a registered pharmacist or doctor before using common over-the-counter pain/fever medicines.
Do not combine multiple pain medicines without advice, especially if you have kidney disease, liver disease, stomach ulcer, asthma, pregnancy, or take blood thinners.
Do not give adult medicines to children unless a qualified clinician advises it.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

Severe symptoms, confusion, fainting, breathing difficulty, chest pain, severe dehydration, or sudden weakness need urgent medical care.

Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Doctor / qualified healthcare provider

Tests to discuss with doctor

Basic vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level if needed
Relevant blood, urine, imaging, or specialist tests only after clinical assessment

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
Which tests are really needed now?
Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Go to emergency care if you notice:

Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, major injury, or severe dehydration

Doctor / service to discuss: Qualified healthcare provider; specialist depends on symptoms and examination.

Step 1
Check danger signs first
If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.
Step 2
Record the symptom story
Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.
Step 3
Visit a qualified clinician
A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.
Step 4
Do only useful tests
Do tests after clinical assessment. Avoid unnecessary tests, random antibiotics, or repeated medicines without diagnosis.
Step 5
Follow up and return early if worse
If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips

Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

RX Patient Help

Ask a health question safely

Write your symptom story. A health professional or site editor can review it before any answer is prepared. This box is not for emergency care.

Emergency first: Severe chest pain, breathing trouble, unconsciousness, stroke signs, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent local medical care now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.