Botanical name: Succisa pratensis      
Folk names: Bobby bright buttons

Type: Perennial

Wildlife: High quality nectar and pollen for late summer butterflies including the Small-tortoiseshell and Comma, as well as the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth and any bees on the wing up to mid October (Red-tailed and Common Carder bumblebees move on to mine after the lavender is over). Seed-heads may attract birds. (Also, caterpillar food plant of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly on specialist nature reserves.)

Flowers: August to October

Decorative merit: Flattened, rounded ‘pincushion’ flowerheads ranging from pinky to violet blue. Flower stems branch to produce clouds of flowers (so pretty against late afternoon sunlight!). Protruding reddish anthers. 60-110cm high. Slowly clump-forming, providing good ground cover. Makes a lovely combination with white campion. Seedheads and stems retain their shape to give a delicate winter display.

Where: Sun or part-shade. Pond margins, mini meadows, borders, wild patches. Happiest in rich, moist soil so good if you have boggy areas, but can adapt to quite dry conditions. Mine are happy in a raised planter.

Folklore: It was believed that the devil was envious of the plant’s many virtues so bit off the root to stop it growing. The plant survived with a root that sends out lateral roots to compensate.

Honeysuckle family relative of field scabious.

Donate seeds to Exeter Seed Bank