Ye Ole Rose Campion
This ancient wildflower, also known as Bloody William, Our Lady’s Rose, and a host of other names was living in our yard when we moved into the cabin. I didn’t know what it was at first because it looked like a grayish-silver, succulent-like ground cover. But, then summer came around and it shot stems 2+ feet in the air and busted out deep pink flowers. I was an instant fan. I had to get some more of them from my neighbor down the hill.
Rose Campion at the edge of my yard
Rose Campion’s not a California native, but apparently it has been cultivated since the 1300’s. The flower most likely made its way here by boat from Southern Europe in the 1700 or 1800s. It’s very easy to grow as it reseeds itself, is heat & drought-tolerant, takes sun or part shade, and requires little to no maintenance. If you live in Zones 3-9, and like the wild-garden look, see if you can get your hands on some plants or heirloom seeds.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I love this plant for it’s architecture and it’s tenacity. It sure is an aggressive reseeder though. It most definitely is successful in that area! I’m always forgetting the name of it, but I doubt now I’ll forget Bloody William!
June 18th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Yes, you are certainly right about the reseeding potential! It will have to fight for ground space with blackberries and ivy in my rock hard clay earth, but I’m hoping that some more will take root. My neighbor down the hill has dozens. The good thing is that if you end up with too many, they’re shallow-rooted and very easy to pull out.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Hi! I like your srticle and I would like very much to read some more information on this issue. Will you post some more?