Lychnis chalcedonica L.
Fully hardy, erect, stiff perennial with umbel-like cymes of star-shaped scarlet flowers in summer. White and double garden cultivars are available. To 1.2m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Horticultural & Botanical History
‘The scarlet lychnis appears to have been a great favourite with Parkinson, he calls it a glorious flower, and in a wooden print of him prefixed to his Paradisus Terrestris, we see him represented with a flower of this sort in his hand of the double kind. It grows spontaneously in most parts of Russia, and is one of our most hardy perennials. The extreme brilliancy of its flowers renders it a plant, in its single state highly ornamental; when double, its beauty is heightened, and the duration of it increased.’ [BM t.257/1794]. Introduced to Britain in 1596. [JD].
History at Camden Park
Listed in all published catalogues [H.134/1843].
Notes
Published Feb 01, 2009 - 02:39 PM | Last updated Jul 16, 2010 - 02:36 PM
Lychnis chalcedonica L. | BM t.257/1794 | BHL
| Family | Caryophyllaceae |
|---|---|
| Category | |
| Region of origin | European Russia |
| Synonyms | |
| Common Name | Scarlet lychnis, Maltese cross, Jerusalem cross |
| Name in the Camden Park Record | Lychnis Chalcedonicus |
| Confidence level | high |