Signs of Spring: Fire Pink


It’s a little early for Fire Pink to be blooming but this is an unusual spring. 

The Wissahickon Nature Club found it along the Butler-Freeport Trail last Wednesday. 

Fire Pink (Silene virginica) is in the Pink or Carnation family of plants.  These flowers are called “pinks” not because of their color but because the tips of their petals are notched as if you trimmed them with pinking shears.  Look closely and you can almost see the pinking on these petal tips.

Did you know chickweed is also in the Pink family?  Check it out with a magnifying glass and you’ll see that what appear to be 10 petals are actually five, cleft nearly to their base.

(photo by Dianne Machesney)

One thought on “Signs of Spring: Fire Pink

  1. My grandpa used to take me walking through the woods every spring when I was little. He would always point out the wild flowers growing along the creek. However, I have never seen these before. I always seem to be amazed at all the beauty in the world.

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