Japanese name: スイセンノウ（酔仙翁） Scientific name:Silene coronaria
[Overview]
A perennial 0.5–1 m tall.
The whole plant is densely covered with soft white hairs and feels velvety.
The stem branches in the upper part.
Leaves are simple and opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, with entire margins.
Cymes at the stem tips bear sparse flowers.
The flowers are 5-petaled, 2.5–3 cm across, and bright reddish purple.
There are also cultivars with white, pink or multicolored flowers.
The fruit is an ovate capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by stem cuttings.
It also spreads readily from self-sown seed.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so it is sometimes treated as a biennial.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained soil.
It dislikes excess moisture, so for potted plants, water thoroughly only after the soil has dried completely; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
For plants in the ground, fertilizer is not particularly necessary if basal fertilizer is applied; for potted plants, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil in spring and autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
