Succisa pratensis 'Buttermilk'

RHS Plant Profile
devil's bit scabious 'Buttermilk'

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Herbaceous Perennial
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A compact perennial to about 40cm tall, with a basal rosette of slender, egg-shaped, green leaves, the branched stems bearing solitary creamy-yellow, pincushion-like flowerheads 2cm across, in summer and autumn

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Caprifoliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Succisa are rhizomatous herbaceous perennials with simple, obovate leaves and long-stalked, solitary pale violet, pincushion-like flowerheads in late summer and autumn
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows in any moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, ideal for naturally peaty soil that is moist during spring and summer

Propagation

Propagate by seed or softwood cuttings (basal)

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required, tidy after flowering is finished if seed is not required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free