Night-flowering Catchfly is an annual wildflower. It has a long, thin, bladder-like calyx from which many white petals emerge. The flowers open at dusk, for three nights in a row before dropping. Member of the Pink family. It is also known as Sticky Cockle – the leaves and stems are sticky and hairy. Grows to a height of around 20 ins (50 cm). Its flowers attract many moths, due to the strong fragrance they emit at night-time. The sticky hairs which cover the entire plant trap tiny insects like aphids, thereby providing a food source for insects such as ladybirds.
