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Polygalaceae
Chalk Milkwort
Polygala calcarea
Steadfast faith.
- Family
- Polygalaceae
- Genus
- Polygala
- Native to
- Western Europe
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.1-0.3 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- chalky, alkaline, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 6-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Chalk milkwort grows exclusively on chalk and limestone grasslands, making it an indicator species for calcareous habitats.
- The genus name Polygala means 'much milk,' from an ancient belief that cows eating milkwort would produce more milk.
- Its bright blue flowers are disproportionately large for such a tiny, ground-hugging plant.
- Chalk milkwort is threatened across Europe due to the decline of traditional chalk grassland management.
- The flowers have a complex structure resembling a tiny butterfly, with wing-like sepals and a fringed keel petal.
Color meanings
0
spiritual devotion
1
hermitage