Japanese name: マツモトセンノウ（松本仙翁） Scientific name:Silene sieboldii
[Overview]
A perennial 40–90 cm tall, found in grasslands in the mountains.
The stem is erect and has downward-pointing hairs.
Leaves are simple and opposite, ovate, 5–8 cm long and 2.5–4.5 cm wide, and hairy.
The leaf margins are entire.
The flowers are borne rather densely in dichasial cymes; they are 5-petaled, 2.5–3.5 cm across, and open flat.
The petals are red, rarely white, shallowly 2-lobed at the tip, and toothed along the margin.
There are 10 stamens.
The calyx is cylindrical, 2.5–3 cm long.
The fruit is a capsule that splits into 5 at the top to release the seeds.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by shoot cuttings.
It prefers sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
In addition to a base fertilizer, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil in spring and autumn.
Pests include armyworms.
