Field scabious; Bachelor's buttons; Black soap; See less; Blue buttons; Blue caps; Clodweed; Egyptian rose; Gypsy rose; Lady's cushion; Purple buttons and Scabridge. All names of Knautia arvensis, as it is known around the country.

The British native field scabious has lilac-blue/mauve pincushion flowers all summer. It's a tough, attractive, and easily grown hardy perennial and it's a superb wildlife plant as the flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, and attract bees, butterflies, and moths.

Grow in a wildflower meadow or wildlife area or in a bed or border. As a bonus it makes an excellent cut flower.

Available to buy and plant now.

Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons