Maiden's Tears Native Wildflower Seed

SILENE VULGARIS

Bladder Campion is soft, strange, and quietly stunning. Delicate white petals float above little inflated green pouches that look like they are hiding secrets, gossip, or possibly tiny woodland ghosts.

Also known as Maiden’s Tears, it has long been linked with love, purity, and innocence. But do not let the delicate look fool you. This is a tough little wildflower with proper wild charm. It has also been eaten in parts of Italy and Spain, where the young shoots are used in risottos, omelettes, and other dishes.

So yes, it looks like it belongs in a fairytale. It also might belong in dinner. Nature, as usual, refuses to stay in one lane.

Bladder Campion likes sunny spots and well drained soil. It is a good choice for meadow edges, borders, banks, and relaxed wild planting.

Rip - Clear weeds, grass, and debris. Rake the soil so you have a loose, open surface.

Scatter - Sprinkle the seed thinly across the soil.

Sow - Gently press the seed into the soil surface so it makes contact. Do not bury it deeply.

When to sow - For best results sow from August to November. You can also sow from March to May.

Where to sow - Choose a sunny spot with free draining soil and low competition. Bladder Campion does best where it is not crowded by thick grass or aggressive
weeds.

After sowing, keep the soil lightly moist while the seeds get going, especially during dry weather.

Once you can see green shoots, keep the area clear of big weeds and thick grass. Bladder Campion does not need feeding and does not want rich, over pampered soil.

If too many seedlings appear in one clump, gently pull a few out so the strongest ones have space. Once growing well, it is fairly easy going.

Bladder Campion usually flowers from May to August, producing pale, delicate flowers that bring a soft, wild, slightly magical feel to the garden.

It typically grows around 30 to 60 cm tall. It is a perennial, so once happy it can return year after year.

The flowers are good for pollinators, and the whole plant has a gentle, old world charm. A little bit meadow, a little bit fairytale, a little bit “why is this not in more gardens?”

Yes, Bladder Campion can grow in pots, and it can look lovely in a relaxed patio container.

Use a medium pot, ideally at least 25 to 30 cm wide, with drainage holes. Fill it with peat free, low nutrient compost, mixed with sharp sand or grit to keep it open and free draining.

Scatter the seed thinly over the surface, press it in gently, and place the pot somewhere sunny. Keep lightly moist while the seeds get going. Once growing, water when the compost starts to dry out.

We want your seeds to grow. If you follow our sowing instructions, give them a fair chance, and they still do not grow, we’ll put it right.

Eligible customers can choose either a refund for the seeds that did not grow, or replacement seeds of the same value.

For more information on our policy go to our No Grow No Fee page.