This is the campion family, with some tiny alpine cushion plants, and some larger herbaceous species. Most of the ones that we grow come from high in the mountains, but sizes are variable. They all have the characteristic five-petalled flowers, often with a distinctive and attractive striped and coloured calyx.

Silene davidii is a species from the Chinese mountains, making neat, compact cushions of narrow leaves, with large flowers, rose pink, which therefore make it an extremely attractive alpine plant.