Forked Catchfly. Care

Silene dichotoma is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name forked catchfly. It is native to Eurasia and it is known in other parts of the temperate world, such as sections of North America, where it is a weed that grows in disturbed habitat.

It is an annual herb growing up to 80 centimeters tall. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 8 centimeters long on the lower stem and are smaller farther up. Each flower is encapsulated in an inflated calyx of sepals lined with ten veins. It is open at the tip, revealing five white to red petals, each with two lobes at the tip and sometimes taking a curled form.

This plant might be poisonous

How to get rid of: After a drenching rain, stage a rewarding weeding session by equipping yourself with gloves, a sitting pad, and a trug or tarp for collecting the corpses. As you head out the door, slip an old table fork into your back pocket because there’s nothing better for twisting out tendrils of henbit or chickweed. When going after bigger thugs, use a fishtail weeder to pry up taprooted weeds, like dandelion or dock.