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Primulaceae
Scarlet Pimpernel
Anagallis arvensis
Change, unpredictability, and hidden identity.
- Family
- Primulaceae
- Genus
- Anagallis
- Native to
- Europe, western Asia, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 5–20 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- any well-drained soil
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 5–10
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- The flower opens only in sunshine and closes by mid-afternoon, earning the folk name 'shepherd's weather glass'.
- Baroness Orczy named her fictional hero 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' because the flower is small and easy to overlook.
- The blue-flowered form was once considered a separate species but is now classified as a color variant.
- Despite its beauty it is mildly toxic to livestock, containing saponins that can irritate the digestive tract.
- In ancient Greek medicine, Dioscorides recommended pimpernel poultices to draw out splinters.
Color meanings
Red
boldness in disguise
Blue
rare beauty and surprise