Leaf
Bertrand BUI, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Field scabious
Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult.
Family: Caprifoliaceae
40 to 80 cm tall
Meadows, banks, track edges
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Very similar to scabious but its flower head is flatter and its leaves are hairy and rough. Scabious has a more domed flower head and stem leaves cut into narrow strips, whereas field scabious has a flatter flower head and stem leaves less finely divided.
🍃 Leaves
Hairy, entire or divided, opposite
🌸 Flowers
Mauve-lilac flower head, resembling a scabious but less domed
🍎 Fruits
Small hairy achenes
🪵 Bark
Hairy, rough herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia; very common in dry meadows and banks in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Mauve-blue flower heads very rich in nectar, among the most visited by butterflies, bees and bumblebees in meadows.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Wildflower meadows, naturalistic borders; long, generous summer flowering.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Field scabious
Knautia arvensis
Small scabious
Scabiosa columbaria
Scabious has a more domed flower head and stem leaves cut into narrow strips, whereas field scabious has a flatter flower head and stem leaves less finely divided.
🌿 Other Caprifoliaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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