Flower profile
Cardinal catchfly
Silene laciniata
Cardinal catchfly is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Silene laciniata is a perennial herb in the family (Caryophyllaceae), commonly known as fringed Indian pink, cardinal catchfly, Mexican campion, Mexican-pink, and campion.
- It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 14,337 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #51 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Cardinal catchfly gift ideas
Handmade cardinal catchfly gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly art print
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly greeting card
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly mug
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly earrings
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Cardinal catchfly sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in April–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Silene acaulis (“Moss Campion”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records cardinal catchfly in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas.
California counties with USDA records: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SILA2.
- iNaturalist, Silene laciniata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Silene laciniata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Silene laciniata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.