Perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family, native to southern and central Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Balkans through the Alps and the Apennines. It naturally colonizes rock gardens, scree, rocky slopes, and old sunny walls, generally between 300 and 2,000 meters in altitude, on well-drained calcareous or siliceous substrates.
It forms widely spreading, semi-trailing clumps, 10 to 15 cm in height, which can cover a considerable area over the years. The stems are thin, branched, slightly pubescent, bearing small oval to elliptical leaves, medium green, opposite, softly hairy to the touch.
The flowers have five bright pink to carmine pink petals, gathered in very numerous loose cymes that literally cover the foliage at the time of full bloom. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July. In cultivation, it can start as early as April in a favorable situation, and pruning after the first wave sometimes encourages a slight summer resurgence.
Robust and undemanding plant, it tolerates drought, heat, and poor soils provided that drainage is ensured. It naturalizes easily in rock gardens, on walls or slopes, and can self-seed spontaneously. The 'Rubra Compacta' cultivar offers a more intense hue and a more compact habit.