Plant Name Bladder Campion
Scientific Name Silene Vulgaris
Family Carnation
Plant Type Perennial
Start of Blooming Season April
End of Blooming Season August
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Bladder Campion is species of Silene in the Carnation family. Bladder Campion is native to Europe where it is consumed as an edible plant. However; in North America bladder campion is considered a weed. The common name "bladder campion" comes from the appearance of the bladder like calyx of the plant just below the flower head. The species latin name vulgaris means "common".


Bladder Campion is grown in some European locations as an edible crop.

Within the realm of rational and holistic medicine, bladder campion is said to be emollient and is used in baths or as a fumigant. The juice of the bladder campion plant is used in the treatment of ophthalmia. Although no specific mention has been referenced for this species, verbal research shows bladder campion can be used as a soap substitute for washing clothes. The soap is obtained by simmering the root in hot water.

Please note that MIROFOSS does not suggest in any way that plants should be used in place of proper medical and psychological care. This information is provided here as a reference only.


The young shoots and leaves of bladder campion can be eaten raw or cooked. The young leaves are sweet and very agreeable in salads; and the the cooked young shoots, harvested when about 5cm long, have a flavour similar to green peas but with a slight bitterness. This bitterness can be reduced by blanching the shoots as they appear from the ground. When pureed, bladder campion is said to rival the best spinach purees. The leaves can also be finely chopped and added to salads. The leaves should be used before the plant starts to flower.


Bladder campion can grow in light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. Bladder Campion cannot grow in the shade or in highly acidic soil. It prefers moist soil. Bladder campion is known for attracting wildlife.

Soil Conditions
Soil Moisture
Sunlight
Notes:


Bladder Campion is a perennial plant which can grow up to 60cm tall with opposite, lanceolate, deep green leaves. The leaf margin is entire, but occasionally wavy or curled and appearing toothed. The root system of bladder campion is made up of a coarse, whitish taproot with numerous, deeply penetrating and widely spreading wiry branches. The flowers appear in branching clusters with sepals united and forming a bladder-like calyx, light green or pinkish with darker green or purplish veins and 5 very short teeth at the end. Each flower contains five petals which are deeply lobed, white to pinkish, about 15mm across when open, soon curling up and shrivelling after pollination. Seedpods are nearly spherical, about 6mm long, enclosed by the loose, papery, bladder-like calyx. the seeds are grayish, kidney-shaped, and approximately 1.5mm across, rough with tiny warty bumps. The flowers of bladder campion are Dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant) and therefore not self-fertile.

Plant Height 30cm to 60cm
Habitat Fields, Thickets, Clearings, Lawns
Leaves Opposite; Lanceolate
Leaf Margin Entire
Leaf Venation Longitudinal
Stems smooth stems
Flowering Season April to August
Flower Type Radially Symmetrical
Flower Colour White
Pollination Bees, Insects
Flower Gender Dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required)
Fruit Hard kidney shaped seeds
USDA Zone 5B (-23°C to -26°C) cold weather limit


No known health risks have been associated with bladder campion. However ingestion of naturally occurring plants without proper identification is not recommended.

-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see an artist rendering, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of bladder campion. (This image will open in a new browser tab)

-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see a magnified view, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of the seeds created by bladder campion for propagation. (This image will open in a new browser tab)


Bladder Campion can be referenced in certain current and historical texts under the following three names:

     
     

Bladder Campion can be translated into the following select languages:

Arabic المثانة كامبيون Bulgarian мехур Кемпиън Chinese (Sim) 膀胱坎皮恩
Croatian   Czech   Danish  
Dutch   Esperanto   Estonian  
Finnish   French   German Leimkraut
Greek   Hebrew שלפוחית השתן קמפיון Hungarian  
Italian   Japanese 膀胱カンピオン Korean 방광 후보에
Punjabi   Lithuanian   Norwegian  
Persian مثانه کمپیون Polish   Portuguese candelária de bexiga
Romanian   Russian Мочевой пузырь Кэмпион Slovak  
Spanish coronaria de vejiga Swedish   Tagalog  
Turkish   Ukrainian Сечовий міхур Кемпіон Vietnamese  

The MIROFOSS database offers free printable garden tags for personal and non-profit use. These tags can be used to properly identify plant samples in a garden. Click on the tags shown on the the screen or -click here- to download a full size jpeg image for a bladder campion identification tag; which can be printed on paper or used with a plastic laser printer.

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Description Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Description Meades, S.J. & Hay, S.G; Brouillet, L. 2000. Annotated Checklist of Vascular Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador. Memorial University Botanical Gardens, St John's NF. 237pp.
Description The Nature Conservancy. 2001. Map: TNC Ecoregions of the United States. Modification of Bailey Ecoregions. Online . Accessed May 2003.
Folklore Kleonikos G. Stavridakis , Κλεόνικος Γ. Σταυριδάκης (2006). Wild edible plants of Crete - Η Άγρια βρώσιμη χλωρίδα της Κρήτης. Rethymnon Crete. ISBN 960-631-179-1.
Biology Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum,
Image Rendering USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Environment National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2
Physical Identification National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2
September 01, 2016 The last time this page was updated
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