Asteraceae
30–90 cm
Meadow
Purple-pink
A robust, thistle-like flower of meadows and roadsides with purple-pink blooms that are among the most important for butterflies.
Natural History
Common Knapweed is one of the most ecologically valuable wildflowers in Britain, its purple-pink flower heads providing an abundant and reliable source of nectar throughout the summer months. It is found in a wide range of grassland habitats, from traditional hay meadows and chalk downland to road verges and rough grassland, and is one of the most widespread wildflowers in the country. The flower heads are 2–3 cm across, with deeply fringed florets of bright purple-pink. The involucre has distinctive black-fringed bracts that give it a dark, almost burnt appearance. Common Knapweed is the food plant of the Knapweed Fritillary moth and provides nectar for an extraordinary range of butterflies, including the Marbled White, Meadow Brown, and Ringlet.
Habitats
Key Pollinators
Traditional Uses
The plant has been used in traditional herbal medicine as a diuretic and tonic. The seeds are eaten by goldfinches. It is one of the most important plants for butterfly conservation.
Did You Know?
Common Knapweed is the single most important nectar plant for butterflies in Britain — a single plant can attract over 20 different butterfly species in a single summer.
Related Species
Common Poppy
Papaver rhoeas
The blazing scarlet emblem of remembrance, lighting up cornfields and roadsides with vivid colour from June to August.
Cowslip
Primula veris
A cheerful nodding cluster of golden-yellow bells that heralds spring in chalk grasslands and traditional hay meadows.
Primrose
Primula vulgaris
The delicate pale-yellow herald of spring, nestling in hedgebanks and woodland edges from February onwards.