Devil's-bit scabious Succisa pratensis must be one of the best of all late summer wild flowers for providing nectar for butterflies and moths. It has a long flowering period, from late August onwards, and attracts a wide range of lepidoptera including.....
... small white butterflies ...
.... small coppers ....
... several moths, including the silver Y, an immigrant that often arrives in large numbers when the scabious is at peak flowering....
... peacocks ....
... red admirals .....
... and small tortoiseshells
It's an easy plant to introduce into a wildlife garden but seeds need to be collected as soon as they begin to ripen, because these rather attractive heads of seed begin to fall apart and scatter as soon as they begin to dry out. I germinated seed last autumn which are now robust plants that should flower well next year.
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