Christopher A Strickland Photography
Crowning Glory
Common Knapweed, latin name Centaurea nigra (also called Black or Greater Knapweed) is a thistle-like plant that can be found on all kinds of grasslands from roadside verges to woodland rides, cliff tops to lawns. It is a hardy perennial member of the Daisy family which will grow to a maximum height of 3ft and is found in the wild on chalky grassland, wasteland and in hedgerows. A good meadow plant, with large, purple-red flowers in late summer.
It is in bloom from June to September and is a huge favourite of bumblebees, hoverflies, honeybees, and all kind of butterflies including Common Blues, Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns, and is sometimes covered in these species.
The purple-magenta flowers project, thistle-like, from a flower head that resembles a small bristly pineapple and gives the plant its alternative name of Hardhead.
Despite its purple flower, yellow is the most typical colour of dye that it produces.
Has had medicinal uses as a diuretic & tonic, and wound healer. In Chaucer's day it was called Matfellon, and it was one of the ingredients of the ointments for wounds and the pestilence.
No meadow would be complete without a sprinkling of the dark heads of Knapweed in summer. It grows along every wayside, and is found on hills and dry pastures in great abundance, being addicted to both wet and dry ground.
I saw this one when I was walking in Discovery Park. It was blooming in an open grassy area near the lake.
Crowning Glory
Common Knapweed, latin name Centaurea nigra (also called Black or Greater Knapweed) is a thistle-like plant that can be found on all kinds of grasslands from roadside verges to woodland rides, cliff tops to lawns. It is a hardy perennial member of the Daisy family which will grow to a maximum height of 3ft and is found in the wild on chalky grassland, wasteland and in hedgerows. A good meadow plant, with large, purple-red flowers in late summer.
It is in bloom from June to September and is a huge favourite of bumblebees, hoverflies, honeybees, and all kind of butterflies including Common Blues, Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns, and is sometimes covered in these species.
The purple-magenta flowers project, thistle-like, from a flower head that resembles a small bristly pineapple and gives the plant its alternative name of Hardhead.
Despite its purple flower, yellow is the most typical colour of dye that it produces.
Has had medicinal uses as a diuretic & tonic, and wound healer. In Chaucer's day it was called Matfellon, and it was one of the ingredients of the ointments for wounds and the pestilence.
No meadow would be complete without a sprinkling of the dark heads of Knapweed in summer. It grows along every wayside, and is found on hills and dry pastures in great abundance, being addicted to both wet and dry ground.
I saw this one when I was walking in Discovery Park. It was blooming in an open grassy area near the lake.