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Succisa pratensis

Devil's-bit scabious

Caprifoliaceae Europe, western Asia, North Africa

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Succisa pratensis is a clump-forming perennial of damp grassland, 15-100 cm (6-39 in) tall, with a basal rosette of smooth, oval, untoothed leaves and slender, sparsely branched flowering stems. From midsummer it carries rounded, button-like heads 1.5-2.5 cm (0.6-1 in) across packed with small blue-violet to mauve florets, with projecting pink-purple anthers that give the heads a pincushion look. Unlike true scabious, the heads are near-spherical rather than flat, and male and female plants differ slightly in head size. The plant grows from a short, abruptly truncated rootstock, the source of the old legend that the devil bit off its root and of its common name. It spreads slowly into clumps and self-seeds in open, moist turf. Foliage dies back in autumn and reappears from the rootstock in spring. The flowers are a late-season nectar source and the foliage feeds the larvae of the marsh fritillary butterfly. It needs reliably moist soil and full sun to light shade, and weakens on dry or heavily fertilised ground.

Native Range

Succisa pratensis is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, including the British Isles. It grows in damp meadows, marshes, fens, wet heaths, and woodland rides, mostly on neutral to acid soils. It is not native to North America.

Suggested Uses

Planted in damp wildflower meadows, marshy borders, rain gardens, and naturalistic schemes on moist ground. Used in wildlife and pollinator plantings as a late nectar source and as the larval food plant of the marsh fritillary butterfly. Its need for moist, low-fertility soil makes it hard to keep in dry or rich borders.

How to Identify

Identify Succisa pratensis by its rounded, near-spherical heads of blue-violet florets with protruding pink-purple anthers, held on slender stems above a rosette of smooth, untoothed leaves. The spherical heads separate it from the flatter heads of true scabious and knautia. The rootstock ends abruptly as though bitten off, the feature behind its common name.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 3'3"

Width/Spread1' - 1'6"

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

purple

blue

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from July to October, later than most meadow perennials. The button-like blue-violet heads open over a long late-summer and autumn period. Seed ripens through autumn as the heads dry to brown.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Blue-violet to mauve

Foliage Description

Mid-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay silt peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Succisa pratensis in moisture-retentive soil in full sun to light shade, where it tolerates seasonal wetness and neutral to acid ground. It weakens on dry, chalky, or heavily fertilised soils and competes poorly with vigorous grasses. The plant is hardy and needs no winter protection across temperate zones. Sow seed in autumn or spring, or divide established clumps in spring. Water during dry spells, as drought checks growth and flowering. Cut back faded stems in late autumn or leave the seed heads standing for birds and structure.

Pruning

No formal pruning is needed. Cut back spent flowering stems in late autumn, or leave them for seed-eating birds and winter interest. Divide congested clumps in spring every three to four years to keep them vigorous.