The Acidity of Soil for Devil's Scabious

Description

• The herbaceous perennial Devil's scabious, or Devil's Bit, has slender leaves and stems topped with bluish purple flower heads. The flower has a pincushion-like habit and spreads its seed in a month. Devil's scabious begins as a low growing rosette with slightly hairy leaves before producing long 3-foot-long stems. It can take two to five years before the plant reaches its full size. The clump-forming plant can be 6 inches to 1 1/2 feet wide at maturity.

Soil pH

• This wildflower grows naturally in peaty and boggy soils where the soil pH is low and acidity is high. The soil can be porous or boggy in sun or partial shade. The plant prefers moist soil where the pH is less than 6. It can also grow in neutral soils where pH is between 6 and 8. Devil's scabious does not require highly fertile sites and will grow where other plant species won't and where grazing reduces most other vegetation.

Locations

• Devil's scabious is found in wet marshlands, meadows and moist woodland areas. It was once common in Northern Ireland, but its presence is less known today due to over-exploitation of the land. It makes an excellent addition to a wildflower or cottage garden. The flower is a favorite of bees and butterflies and is a useful part of a butterfly garden. It is the main food plant of the March Fritillary; the butterfly lays its eggs in the plant and uses it as a nursery.

Care

• Devil's scabious can grow in any soil pH but for best production a moderately acid area is best. The addition of sulfur or incorporation of peat moss at the planting site will enhance the acidity of the soil. The plant needs supplemental water but has few other needs. There are no major pests or disease problems with Devil's scabious. It is a low maintenance perennial that should have spent flower stems cut off to prevent its spread.