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Pasqueflower

©Anne Tanne

Pasqueflower

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Scientific name: Pulsatilla vulgaris
The pretty-in-purple Pasqueflower is now a rare plant in the UK, restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands. Steeped in legend, it flowers at Easter, so is known as the 'anemone of Passiontide'.

Top facts

Stats

Height: up to 25cm

Conservation status

Classified as Vulnerable on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

When to see

April to April

About

The striking, purple Pasqueflower is now a very rare plant in the UK, restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands and found on only a handful of nature reserves. It flowers in the spring, usually around April, its petals sitting cushioned on feathery leaves. Legend has it that Pasqueflowers sprang up in places that had been soaked by the blood of Romans or Danes because they often appeared on old barrows and boundary banks. However, it's more likely that these sites are favoured because they tend to be undisturbed chalk grassland.

What to look for

A beautiful, upward bell-shaped flower, the Pasqueflower is easily recognised if found: look for deep purple petals covered in long, silky hairs; a bright yellow, stamen-filled centre; and feathery, grey-green leaves.

Where to find

Very rare and found in just a few places in the Chilterns, Cotswolds, East Anglia and Lincolnshire.

Did you know?

The Pasqueflower blooms in April, around Eastertime; for this reason, it is known as the 'anemone of Passiontide' and its common name 'pasque' derives from the word 'paschal' which means 'of Easter'.