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Description
Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is a charming native wildflower once commonly seen as a weed of cornfields. Today, it is in gradual decline due to intensive agricultural practices. It can still be found growing in arable fields, roadside verges, waste ground, towns and gardens, and on coastal cliffs.
Flowering from June to September, this small but colourful plant is famous for its weather-predicting habit. It blooms close when atmospheric pressure falls and bad weather approaches, earning it the traditional names “Old man’s weathervane” and “Shepherd’s weather-glass”.
How to Identify
Scarlet pimpernel is a low-growing plant with trailing or prostrate stems and small, oval, sessile leaves. Its bright red, five-petalled blooms are edged with tiny glandular hairs, creating a distinctive fringed appearance.
Scarlet pimpernel plants usually reach up to 30cm in height and spread close to the ground in loose mats. While most flowers are vivid red, occasional blue forms can also occur, adding to their variation in flower colour.
How to Grow
Scarlet pimpernel grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, particularly in light or sandy soil types. Seeds can be sown directly outdoors in spring, where they will establish quickly with very little care.
It is ideal for wildflower meadows, wildlife-friendly gardens, and naturalised areas, providing bright summer colour and a valuable nectar source for pollinating insects.
