Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Self-pollination, moths, hummingbirds

Usually glabrous perennial from a strong taproot, the stems up to 1 m. tall, but the lower branches often decumbent.

Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-8 cm. long and 1-3 cm. broad.

Flowers several to many in an open, rather flat-topped inflorescence, with narrow, inconspicuous bracts; calyx 5-lobed, bell-shaped, 1 cm. long at blooming, but inflated and up to 2 cm. long in fruit, pale green to purplish, glabrous; petals 5, white, the claw about 1 cm. long, expanded above, the blade 4-6 mm. long, deeply bi-lobed; appendages at the base of the blade 2 and minute, or lacking; ovary stalk 2-3 mm. long; stamens 10; styles usually 3.

Capsule 3-celled.