Oregon Campion, Oregon Catchfly, Oregon Silene

The photo at right shows a close-up side-view of the flower of Oregon catchfly as seen at a DNR rock quarry at about 4100' atop the ridge dividing the Cougar and Dairy Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams.........July 10, 2005. Note the numerous gland-tipped hairs on the greenish ribs of the calyx and the divided petals.

Oregon campion is an attractive perennial which is suitable for a rock garden or for use under pines on the east side of the Cascades. The several stems range from 30-50 cm tall and are covered with short, glandular hairs above The 4-6 basal leaves are narrowly to broadly oblanceolate and range from 4-8 cm long and 6-12 mm wide. The blade of the basal leaves tapers to a slender petiole. The 3-6 pairs of stem leaves are narrower and short-petiolate to sessile.

The inflorescence is a congested to open cyme of several to many flowers. The calyx is tubular and somewhat bell-shaped and constricted at its base. The calyx is covered with glandular hairs and may have 10 purplish nerves or lines. The 5 pinkish-white petals are each deeply 4-lobed with these main lobes each forked or cut again into further smaller divisions.

Oregon campion may be found from subalpine habitats in the mountains to ponderosa pine forests and sagebrush covered slopes.

Oregon campion may be found east of the Cascade crest from Yakima County, WA south to Skamania County, WA. It is found in southern Oregon to Jackson County. It is found east through southeast Washington and eastern Oregon to western Montana and northwestern Wyoming as well as northeastern Nevada.

In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 2500'-4400' between Greenleaf Peak and the hilltops directly west of the White Salmon River.