Fabulous fringe

Occasional observations on the wildflowers of 91011.

It’s always a thrill to come across a beautiful flower that is so distinctive, so unique, that you simply cannot mistake its identity. That’s what we have here: Cardinal Catchfly (Silene lacinata), a shockingly red explosion of fringe, like fireworks caught at the first burst of fiery color. There’s no other local flower that looks anything like it.

Cardinal Catchfly is about as red as a flower can be. If you look just a bit closer, you’ll see that its fringe is comprised of five petals that are themselves about as deeply lobed as petals of their size can be. Each petal has 4 to 6 lobes, which means a single flower may have anywhere from 20 to 30 of these bright red “fingers.” Sometimes the petals sit so closely together that the fringe is evenly distributed; at other times, the division between the petals is easy to see. Like many other Silene species, Cardinal Catchfly has small appendages or scales at the base of its petals that form a collar or crown around the flower’s throat. Though the crown is subtle, it’s visible in all the photos here.

Cardinal Catchfly is known by several common names. “Cardinal” denotes its color, of course, but “catchfly” is applied to many Silene flowers, because they have sticky glands and can entrap small insects. Silene lacinata is frequently called “Indian Pink,” but not because the flower is pink: obviously, it’s red! Rather, it joins many flowers in the carnation family by having notched or “pinked” petals. And, again like many Silene species, it’s also called a “campion” — a longstanding traditional name, though the word’s origins are obscure.

Though Cardinal Catchfly is easily the most eye-catching Silene species in Southern California, there are several others to look for. The Red Box Road to Mt. Wilson has some cliff-hugging patches of Parish’s Catchfly, which also has lots of fringe on a flower that is wholly green. Closer to home — including at Cherry Canyon — you can often find Windmill Pink (S. gallica), a much smaller but rather adorable flower, with white or pale pink petals (unfringed!) and with a white inner crown. Windmill Pink is native to Europe but has naturalized throughout much of California, though it is now endangered in Great Britain.

Parish’s Catchfly (left) and Windmill Pink

Where and when to find it. Cardinal Catchfly is native to the American southwest, as well as Texas and northern Mexico. In California, it’s found in coastal hills and chaparral, but not in the deserts or higher mountains. It’s not terribly common in Cherry Canyon, but there are isolated stands along the northern section of the Cerro Negro Trail and along both the Forest Hill and Descanso Fire Roads. Further afield, try the Gould Mesa Fire Road, Brown Mtn., and the lower canyon areas of Arroyo Seco, as well as the Verdugo Mtns. April through June are the best months. As for Windmill Pink, it can also show up in any of these areas, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook.