Greater Knapweed
Centaurea scabiosa
Full description
Greater Knapweed produces very attractive large purple flowers in mid-summer. It prefers open grasslands and particularly calcareous soils and can live in drought conditions. It can cope with quite fertile soil and need only be cut in the autumn.
Greater Knapweed is attractive to bees (including the solitary bee species Halictus eurygnathus!) and many butterflies and is the preferred nectar source for a number of butterflies including Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Silver-Spotted Skipper, Brimstone, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Peacock, Silver-Washed Fritillary, Grayling, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
