Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Devil's bit scabious.
Succisa pratensis
Pronounced suk-SEE-uh pruh-TEN-sis
Also known as Devil's-Bit Scabious, Devilsbit
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This lovely perennial is a real treat for pollinators in damp meadows and grasslands. It produces charming, globe shaped blue to violet flower heads on tall stems. You will find it thrives best in areas that mimic its natural moist habitat.
At a glance
- Care level
- Easy
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Indoor light
- Direct sun
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 1 meter
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Hardiness
- USDA 4 to 9
- Bloom time
- Mid summer to mid autumn
Care
Keep the soil consistently moist to mimic its native damp meadow environment. Watch for wilting if the ground dries out too much during the summer. It appreciates a spot with plenty of sunshine to encourage the best blooms.
- Watering
- Keep the soil damp but not waterlogged.
- Feeding
- A light application of compost in spring is plenty.
- Pruning
- Cut back spent flower stalks in late autumn.
- Repotting
- Only repot if the plant becomes rootbound in its container.
- Soil
- Moist, neutral to acidic soil
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 7.5
- Temperature
- -20 to 30°C
- Humidity
- 50 to 80%
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Lifespan
- Perennial, typically 5 to 10 years
- Fragrance
- Light
- Deer and rabbits
- Moderate
Signs it needs repotting
- Roots growing out of the drainage holes.
- Water sitting on the surface for too long.
Safety
- People
- There is no significant toxicity reported for humans.
- Children
- The plant is not known to be a hazard to children.
- Edibility
- This plant is not considered edible and should not be consumed.
How to identify it
- Globe shaped blue violet flower heads
- Basal rosette of oblong leaves
- Tall slender branching stems
- Short rootstock appearing bitten off
- Height
- 0.3 to 0.8m
- Spread
- 0.2 to 0.4m
- Leaves
- green, deciduous
- Flowers
- blue, violet, 1 to 3cm
Problems to watch for
- Powdery MildewCommon
- AphidsUncommon
- Leaf SpotUncommon
- Slugs and SnailsUncommon
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Growing it
- Propagation
- seed, division
- When to plant
- spring, autumn
- Overwintering
- Leave the foliage until spring to protect the crown, then clear away dead material.
- In containers
- It grows well in large pots that can hold moisture, but it is best suited for the ground.
Seed
- Sow seeds in autumn in a cold frame.
- Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
- Transplant seedlings once they are large enough to handle.
Division
- Lift the plant in spring.
- Carefully pull the root clump apart.
- Replant sections immediately into moist soil.
Group this plant with other moisture loving meadow species to create a stable habitat for pollinators.
Grows well with
- Meadowsweet · They both thrive in the same damp meadow conditions.
- Purple Moor Grass · This grass provides a naturalistic backdrop for the blue flowers.
Similar species
- Field Scabious · It has a similar flower shape but prefers drier soil.
Science
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
- Genus
- Succisa
- Order
- Dipsacales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Native range
- Europe and parts of western Asia.
- Conservation
- It is declining in some parts of its range due to habitat loss.
It grows in damp, nutrient poor grasslands where it competes well in moist conditions.
- Value to wildlife
- nectar source, larval host plant for marsh fritillary
- Pollinators
- bees, butterflies, moths
- Uses
- meadow gardens, pollinator borders, wildlife habitats
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 1/9
- Soil reaction
- 5/9
- Light
- 6/9
- Temperature
- 5/9
- Moisture
- 7/9
- Nutrients
- 3/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Does it need full sun?
- It prefers full sun but tolerates light shade.
- Is it drought tolerant?
- No, it prefers consistently moist soil.
Where the name comes from
The name Succisa comes from the Latin for bitten off, referring to the appearance of the rootstock. Pratensis means of the meadow.
Good to know
- It is a key plant for the rare marsh fritillary butterfly.
- The flowers are highly attractive to late season pollinators.
- It thrives in damp grasslands and meadows.
Keep your devil's bit scabious growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.