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 tatarica is also known as the Tatarian catch fly and is native to Europe and eastern Russia. A valuable source of nectar to bees.