What is the Gibraltar campion, and where can I see it?

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The Gibraltar campion (Silene tomentosa) is a very rare flowering plant with pale violet flowers, found only on the Rock. It was once thought extinct, and the most reliable place to see it today is the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens (the Alameda), which propagates it.
The Gibraltar campion is a woody-based perennial with grey-green, velvety leaves and flowers that range from almost white to pale violet. It is endemic to Gibraltar, growing on the Rock’s limestone cliffs and rocky outcrops, and its flowers give off a sweet scent in the evening.
The plant was believed extinct in the late 20th century before it was rediscovered on the Rock in 1994. Seeds collected then allowed the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens to grow hundreds of plants, some of which have been reintroduced to the wild. Seeds are also held at the Millennium Seed Bank, and plants are grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Botanic Gardens report that the last known naturally occurring wild plant was seen in 2008, so finding one on the cliffs is now very unlikely.
The best place to see it is the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, which are free to enter. Staff can tell you where plants are displayed. The species is protected under the Nature Protection Act 1991 and remains on the IUCN Red List as threatened, so any plant you see in the wild must not be picked or disturbed.

What is the Gibraltar campion, and where can I see it?

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A conservation story

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