Moorland Ramblings

Names

• Red Campion
• Silene Dioica
• Adder’s Flower
• Mother-and-Father Die
• Cuckko Flower

Flowering Period

• March to November

Identify

Distinctive Pink-Red flowers which have five, deeply notched petals making them almost appear as divided in two, on a hairy stalk with hairy leaves.

About

Red Campion is a herb that is commonly seen in hedgerows, woodlands and grasslands and begins to flower just as the bluebells leave. The Red Campion is an indicator species for ancient woodlands and is important for various pollinating insects, including bees, butterflies and hoverflies.

Uses

• Traditional medicine ses Red Campion to treat snake bites.
• Formerly used to make soap, as the flowers contain saponins

Folklore & Mythology

• Red Campions guard the honey stores of the bees that use its nectar
• Not content with being a guard for the bees, the Red Campion is also known to protect Piskies from being discovered
• A superstition exists in Cumbria that if the flowers are picked by children, misfortune would happen to their parents