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What Is White Campion: How To Control White Campion Weeds

It has quite flowers, but is white campion a weed? Yes, and in case you see flowers on the plant, the subsequent step is a seed production, so it is time to take measures to control it. Here is some white campion info that can help you if this plant has appeared in your home.

What is White Campion?


White campion (Silene latifolia syn. Silene alba) is a broadleaf plant (dicot) that first grows inside the form of a low-to-the-ground rosette. Later, it bolts and produces 1- to 4-foot (0.3 to 1.2 meter) tall, upright stems with flowers.

White campion is native to Europe and was probably introduced into North America in the early 1800s. In addition to becoming an annoying weed, white campion may also host viruses that influence spinach and beet plants. It typically grows on farms, in gardens, alongside roads, and on other disturbed sites.

White campion is connected to other plants referred to as champions, cockles, or catchfly and to the garden flowers referred to as pinks. Like bladder campion, a wildflower that’s occasionally observed growing like a weed, the flowers consist of a balloon-shaped calyx (a structure produced from the flower’s sepals) from which five petals emerge. But this weedy species has downy leaves and stems and small white petals. It might develop as an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial.

White campion uses

Plants of the genus Silene have roots that contain the compound saponin, which although a mildly toxic substance has long been used as soap for washing clothes, hair etc. There are also references to some kinds of campion being used to treat snake bites and as a cure for corns and warts.

What Is White Campion

How to Control White Campion Weeds

Every white campion plant can make five,000 to 15,000 seeds. In addition to spreading by seed, detached pieces of root can develop back into full plants, as well as the plants can spread underground employing the root system. Controlling white campion is, consequently, comparable to controlling dandelions and related herbaceous weeds. Essentially the most critical control methods are to remove the root system and to prevent the plants from going to seed.

Pull out the plants before you see flowers or at the very least prior to the flowers commence to fade. White campion produces a taproot, or even a long, plunging main root, plus lateral (side) roots. You may need to remove the complete taproot to prevent the plant from growing back. Tilling or mowing might be utilised to greatly decrease populations of this plant on farms or in lawns.

Herbicides are usually not needed, but in case you use them, choose these effective against dicots, and apply them just before flowers seem. White campion is tolerant to 2, 4-D, but glyphosate is normally effective against it. See also Plants With Burrs