Common Name: Mexican Pink

General Information

Silene laciniata is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a thick, fleshy taproot with a branched caudex. It produces one to several, straggling to erect, branched or unbranched stems 20 - 120cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its large, beautiful scarlet flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southwestern N. America - California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, northern Mexico

Habitat

Chaparral, oak woodlands, dry open woodlands, sea slopes, rocky hillsides and cliffs; at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Butterflies, Birds
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Silene laciniata is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant[].
Species in this genus generally grow well in a sunny position in a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile soil[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the plant is used as a reducing medicine[].
The crushed plant is rubbed on to ant bites[].

A pultice of the leaves is applied to burns[].

A decoction of the roots is used to treat potentially rabid bites from dogs or coyotes[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.