Lychnis coronarius Plant Particulars Zones: 3-8 Height: 30-36 inches Spread: 12 inches Shape: branched, upright Color: bright magenta or white Bloom time: mid summer Light needs: full sun Soil: well drained So striking is this mix of silvery foliage and brassy magenta flowers that this plant has the reputation for being hard to place. I ask, is conspicuous beauty any reason to snub a flower? In its glory, in midsummer, a brilliant 3-foot-tall mass of rose campion will steal any scene—so let it. Don't plant it near your red roses, or anything red for that matter. Try popping seedlings of Alternanthera 'Purple Knight', a dark-leaved, low-growing annual, between plants. When the rose campion begins looking shabby, cut its flower stems, leaving just a few to go to seed, and allow 'Purple Knight' to ramble among the remains. The easiest way to introduce rose campion into your garden is to take notice of a patch somewhere and wander casually back later in the season to collect seed...with permission, of course. Scatter it immediately.
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