Flowering Time:

Earliest:  ?
Latest:   ?  nearing their end on 3 August 2005, single flowers only

Similar species:
Reproduction: 
Habitat:
 
 

13 July 2006 A quick look at Shoreham beach seemed to show a reduction in the numbers of Childing Pink flowers as somebody had cut the vegetation on the sand outside the Harbour Club, and only one of the frequent flowers blowing in the breeze was doubled.

24 June 2006
In the weekend sunshine Childing Pink, Petrorhagia nanteuilii, only single flowers so far, were noted in flower for the first time this year  (although they could have been in flower for at least a week) on their normal Silver Sands habitat.

14 July 2005
 

On Silver Sands on Shoreham Beach, the first double flower of the Childing Pink was recorded for this year. There are many less plants this year as Kidney Vetch and other plants have invaded.

21 June 2005
On Silver Sands, Shoreham Beach, Kidney Vetch has invaded and almost taken over the designated Childing Pink, Petrorhagia  nanteuilii, area, but these small mauve-pink flowers have spread to their preferred sandy habitat, an area between the Harbour Club and the river. They are not in double flower yet which is characteristic of this plant.
 

The plants are really hard to spot unless you know exactly where you are looking.

The remaining silver sands

February 2003
The new Harbour Club is completed opening up on to the main area for the rare plant known as the Childing Pink.
If this plant is to survive in one of only two locations in Sussex, careful management will be necessary. West Sussex County Council have constructed a wooden surround, but the main area that the plant colonises is actually on the silver sands near the club and shown in the picture and outside of the wooden barrier. 

Range:

Additional Notes:
31 July 2000
A Clouded Yellow Butterfly was spotted on a Childing Pink  still in flower in the minute area of sand dunes (TQ 229 048) remaining on Shoreham Beach. These rare plants seem to have increased in number, but are still under threat from encroaching vegetation. 

Message: 4
  Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2000 14:13:20 -0000
   From: "Sarah Longrigg" <>
Subject: Child(l)ing pink
UK Botany
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukbotany

I was most interested by Andy Horton's references to this plant, both in regards to flower books that include it and his reference to its presence on the beach at Shoreham-by-Sea.

A couple of years ago I went to visit an aunt (uninterested in botany or conservation) who lives on the coast a good few miles west of Shoreham. We went for a walk on the beach and I noticed these strange flowers (which I did not mention to my aunt!). I later identified them as Child(l)ing pink, and I read somewhere, I forget where, that the location where I found them was one of only two sites in Britain. 
This gave me an interest in this plant.

What now baffles me is its accurate name. Andy Horton and BMLSS give this as  "Childing Pink, Petrorhagia  nanteuilii". I have consulted flower books I have in my possession and have come up with an unbelievable number of variants as follows:

1955 M/F Childling Kohlrauschia prolifera 
1965 KM -     P. nanteuilii / Kohlrauschia prolifera etc
1974 FFB Childling P. nanteulii / nanteullii
1978 F atlas -         P. prolifera
1981 Rose Childling  Kohlrauschia (P.) nanteulii
1983 GS Childling P. nanteuilii / nanteulii
1989 B/GW Childing P. nanteulii
1998 Petroraghia nanteuilii, Childing Pink (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981)

Thus we have childling/childing and nanteulii/ nanteuilii/ nanteullii
Is it possible to know which of all these variants is correct? It seems to me that typing errors have probably become accepted through repetition. I assume that Kohlrauschia is an older name and that the separation from K./P./ prolifera is rather recent? It is a separate species in more recent sources.

Also, what is the correct pronunciation? child -(l)ing (as in young
child)  or chilled-(l)ing?

List of  books referred to above:
1955 - McClintock & Fitter - Collins pocket guide to wild flowers
1965 - Keeble Martin - Concise British flora in colour
1974 - Fitter/Fitter/Blamey - Wild flowers of Britain & Northern 
Europe
1978 - Fitter - Atlas of wild flowers of Britain & Northern Europe
1981 - Rose - Wild flower key, British Isles & North West Europe
1983 - Garrard & Streeter - Wild Flowers of the British Isles
1989 - Blamey/Grey Wilson - Illustrated flora of Britain & Northern 
Europe

Sarah Longrigg

 Message: 4
   Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 22:01:52 -0000
   From: "Chris Pogson" <chris@offham.org.uk>
Subject: Petrorhagia nanteuilii (Childling Pink)

As a new member, I thought I would browse earlier entries and noted some on the Childling Pink.  Last year, while looking for an alien near the South Gare at the mouth of the Tees (reached from Redcar), I stumbled across a sizeable colony (200+) of Petrorhagia nanteuilii, possibly one of the largest in the UK and also the northernmost (any other offers?).  It's not easily confused with anything else, but has now been confirmed, I understand.  If you look in this year's Wild Flower Society fieldtrips list, you will see that Ian Lawrence hopes to demonstrate this species!

Chris Pogson

Information wanted: Please send any records of this plant, with location, date, who discovered it, how it was identified, prevalence, common name and any other details to 
Shorewatch Project EMail Glaucus@hotmail.com. 
All messages will receive a reply. 
 

Shorewatch Project