Small pasque flower
Pulsatilla pratensis
Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)
A wild hairdo of seeds
Early in the spring the silky, silver stem emerges with a bell-shaped flower at the end. This gives this species the first part of its Dutch vernacular name - nodding wild man’s herb. Its violet coloured petals were traditionally used to paint eggs at Easter time. It is native to Eastern Europe.
After flowering the leaves emerge. The seeds have a long, feather-like plume such that together the seed head looks as if it is sporting a wild hair-do. Hence the remainder of the Dutch name, wild man’s herb. The more ordinary pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) is a Western European species and was native to parts of the Netherlands including the Oude IJssel and Gelderse IJssel.
The Celts used pasqueflower as a medicinal herb and Hippocrates was aware of its healing powers: he administered it for anxiety and menstrual disorders.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Alkmaar Botanic Garden.
The flowers are pollinated by bees.
Considered by herbalists to be a highly valuable modern curative used as a 'herbal simple' (i.e. a curative remedy consisting of one ingredient only).
Details
Description: | Herb, up to 30 cm, leaves are deeply incised and thread-like, densely covered in silvery hairs. |
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Distributions: | Central and eastern europe |
Habitat: | On open sandy plains, avoids limestone. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic decidous) |
Hardiness: | Colder than -4 f (very hardy) |
Flowering period: | April - juni |
Flower color: | Blue, purple, red |
Notes on flowers: | Flowers with six bell-shaped inwardly recurved, violet or reddish petals. externally they are covered in silky hairs with a recurved apex. |
Fruiting period: | Juni - juli |
At its best: | April - juni |