Scarlet Pimpernel | Plant Information

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Ericales

Family:

Primulaceae (Primrose)

Also in this family:

Bird's-eye Primrose, Common Primrose, Cowslip, Creeping Jenny, Dotted Loosestrife, False Oxlip, Fringed Loosestrife, Japanese Cowslip, Sea Milkwort, Sowbread, Yellow Loosestrife, Yellow Pimpernel

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Annual

Maximum Size:

40 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Beaches, cliffs, farmland, gardens, grassland, lawns, meadows, parkland, roadsides, sand dunes, sea cliffs, wasteland.

Flower:

Red, 5 petals

5 petals fringed with hairs. Despite the name, the flowers are orange and not scarlet red.

Fruit:

A brown, round fruit capsule which contains many seeds. Ripens from August to October. Up to 6mm across.

Leaves:

The leaves are stalkless and grow in opposite pairs along the stems. They are oval-elliptical with pointed tips. The leaf margins are not toothed. The undersides of the leaves are black-dotted and have many dense white hairs.

Other Names:

Adder's Eyes, Bird's Tongue, Bird's-eye, Blue Pimpernel, Burnet Rose, Clockflower, Common Pimpernel, Cure-all, Eyebright, John-go-to-bed-at-noon, Laughter Bringer, Little Joan, Male Pimpernel, Merecrop, Orange Lily Pernel, Poor Man's Barometer, Poor Man's Weather Glass, Red Chickweed, Red Pimpernel, Shepherd's Calendar, Shepherd's Clock, Shepherd's Delight, Shepherd's Glass, Shepherd's Sundial, Shepherd's Warning, Shepherd's Watch, Shepherd's Weather Glass, Sunflower, Tom Pimpernowl, Waywort, Weather-glass, Winco-pipe, Wink-a-peep.

Frequency (UK):

Common