About Silene italica (L.) Pers.
Silene italica (L.) Pers. is an erect-stemmed plant that can reach between 40 and 80 centimeters in height. It produces kidney-shaped seeds, and its flower petals may be pink, white, or yellow. According to Plants of the World Online, this species is native to Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Iran, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Palestine, Turkmenistan, Romania, and France. It is non-native but present in Corsica, Denmark, Great Britain, and Germany. The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International notes that it was introduced to Belgium, where it was first recorded in 1918, and is also present in Austria and Slovakia. The United States Department of Agriculture records that it has been introduced to the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. Throughout the Mediterranean region, Silene italica grows in hedges and open woodlands. In southern France, it is commonly found in garrigue. In Britain, it occurs naturally on chalky roadside banks and chalk quarries between Dartford and Greenhithe. It was first cultivated in Britain in 1759, and was first found growing wild there in 1863.
