Description
Native to the UK this is a useful clump forming perennial ideally suited to a wet garden (but is not a pond plant). It produces a basal rosette of obovate leaves, and bears stems of solitary light purple, pincushion-like flowerheads in summer and autumn.
Likes any poorly drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
This scabiosa is an important source of food and shelter for the Marsh fritillary butterfly which is threatened across the United Kingdom and Europe as a whole, and its populations are mostly limited to western Britain and Ireland. This scabious is the larval host plant for marsh fritillary butterflies, so is an important part of conservation for the butterfly species. In addition to the marsh fritillary, this plant also attracts a variety of other pollinators, including butterflies, moths, bees, and hoverflies.
Growing this plant is a great way to encourage pollinators to visit your garden, and to support rare species such as the marsh fritillary. Thanks to this plant’s late blooming time the flowers can be extremely valuable for supporting pollinators later in the season when other flowers are hard to come by.
Height 50cm-100cm x Spread 10cm-50cm
