This is the campion family, with some tiny alpine cushion plants, and some larger herbaceous species. Most of the ones that we grow come from high in the mountains, but sizes are variable. They all have the characteristic five-petalled flowers, often with a distinctive and attractive striped and coloured calyx.

Silene hookeri is a particularly lovely tufted Silene native to Northwest America. Clear pale pink to salmon-pink flowers up to 6cm across are borne above downy elliptic leaves. The petals bear such deep lobes that they appear double in number. Prefers some protection from winter wet.