Characteristics of the Scarlet Pimpernel Flower

Appearance

• Scarlet pimpernel reaches a mature heigh of tup to 16 inches, showcasing either an upright or prostrate habit. The square shaped stems support oval leaves with pointed tips that may be speckled with purple hairs on the undersides. The plant flowers in spring through mid summer with five-petaled, pinkish orange flowers that are lightly fringed on the edges. Scarlet pimpernel is similar in appearance to common chickweed (Stellaria media), though common chickweed has stems that are round rather than square.

Growth

• Scarlet pimpernel is a self-fertile annual that propagates by seeds, which are released from tiny round capsules. The three-sided, bumpy brown or black seeds grow into seedlings with hairless, narrow or football-shaped leaves. Scarlet pimpernel's tendency to pop up in agricultural lands frequented by livestock is problematic because of its toxicity, which varies depending on rainfall, according to the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.
  When ingested, scarlet pimpernel is toxic to humans as well, and may cause dermatitis if handled.

Features

• The flowers of the scarlet pimpernel open early in the morning and close in the mid afternoon, though they will often close early before wet weather. This habit of predicting rain has earned the scarlet pimpernel the additional common name of the "poor man's weather glass," though the flowers also close during cool or cloudy weather. Crushed scarlet pimpernel is used for washing in Nepal, according to Plants for a Future.

Culture

• Scarlet pimpernel may be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 to 10, where it does best in an open, sunny situation. The plant does well in sandy, somewhat dry soils, though it will also grow in moist, heavy clay soils. It is not at all shade tolerant. Scarlet pimpernel can become weedy in the garden, though it is easily pulled up and discarded, according to Ever Wilde Farms