Silene caroliniana var. wherryi 'Short and Sweet' (Wild Pinks)

Silene caroliniana var. wherryi 'Short and Sweet' is a cultivar of wild pink, also called catchfly, a low, mounded wildflower which produces loose clusters of light-pink flowers between May and June. Silene caroliniana var. wherryi usually reaches heights of 6-10", making it a great groundcover addition to cottage, pollinator, or container gardens. Though wild pink may be hostile toward some insects with its sticky stems meant to catch harmful flies, the spring-blooming 5-petaled pink flowers are highly attractive to a number of pollinators, including bees, flies, and butterflies/moths, including the starry campion moth (Hadena ectypa), which is considered globally at risk of endangerment due to habitat loss for other Silene species.

The 'Short and Sweet' cultivar is noted for its short stature and its tendency to spread or clump in larger patches, typically about 18" wide. 'Short and Sweet' pink's small size and attractive blooms makes it an ideal choice for groundcover plantings in beds, small container growing, and as an accent or underplanting near large sparse trees or bushes.

Though Silene caroliniana is native to a variety of locations throughout the US, the wherryi subspecies is only found in the wild in a few states like West Virginia and North Carolina.