Medium native perennial with lavender-coloured flowers June to September. Prefers dry alkaline soils.
Other Names: Lady's Pincushions, Pins & Needles, Bachelor's Buttons
Distribution: A native British wild flower, which is fairly common throughoutBritain.
Habitat: It thrives on grassland, banks and dry fields & pastures in sunny sites.
Description: Perennial. Upright, hairy stems with flowers held on tall stems (25cm to 1m). The pretty lilac flowers come out from June to September. The flowers are very similar to the small scabious but generally the plant is much taller.
Folklore: In early days it was thought to cure scabies and other diseases of the skin like its' relative, small scabious. It was once thought by herbalists to be a remedy for skin complaints ranging from wounds and sores to dandruff and unwanted freckles! It has also been grown as a garden plant for many centuries, because of its' pretty lilac flowers.
Wildlife: Butterflies and bees are very attracted to the flowers in summer and birds take the seeds as they ripen. The leaves are the food plant of the Marsh Fritillary and the Narrow Bordered Bee Hawk Moth.
Other Notes: The name is derived from the Latin word meaning itch. Sheep and goats eat the plant, but cattle dislike it.
