Devil’s Bit Scabious Flower

Look out for devil’s bit scabious flower, which now stands out as one of the few plants in flower at this time of year. The attractive light bluish purple flowers are held in compact heads approximately 2 centimetres in diameter. It grows in semi-natural grassland, which has not received fertiliser and can become quite tall in long grass. Most leaves are basal and simple. It is the food plant of the marsh fritillary butterfly, which is on the Red list of endangered species. Devil’s bit scabious nó odhrach bhallach i nGaeilge is a positive indicator plant on the ACRES grassland scorecard and is part of our native Irish biodiversity.