Lychnis 'HILL GROUNDS'

Lychnis is a genus of about 30 species of biennials and perennials. Recently, there has been a newcomer to the group – a few silene species some of which have been renamed to lychnis just like one of the two parents of this hybrid – lychnis coronaria. The second parent was lychnis flos-jovis. The variety was created by Janet Cropley from Hill Grounds, gardens in Northamptonshire, England.

Hill Grounds is a is a medium-tall hybrid rose campion variety, a perennial with tomentose leaves and bright magenta pink flowers. They are about 3 cm in diameter and bloom from June on 60-80 cm tall, upright but slightly crooked stems. The leaves, just like the stems, are densely covered with hairs owing to which they appear silvery grey rather than green, which is their true colour underneath. They are lanceolate, semi-evergreen, form a thick rosette near the ground and only a few smaller leaves appear at the internodes up the stems.

The main flowering phase lasts nearly two months and then new plants keep popping up along old stems with spent flowers. You can leave them on a plant or for a cleaner clump remove these stems to encourage production of new and healthy leaves that will make sure the clump looks good until the end of the growing season. The plants are dense, sterile, and slowly spread but are not weedy like the original parent.

Rose campion is a typical meadow plant. There it seeks the sun, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline soil, which will never completely dry out, but all excess water will always drain away after the rain - that's why it copes well with stony soil. It like fertile soil and responds well to light feeding. In spring carefully remove old, withered leaves. Hardy to min. -30 °C (USDA zone 5), perhaps a bit more.

Last update 02-10-2023