Seasonal Wild Flowers

Sheep's-bit

Jasione montana

Campanulaceae

May to September

It is found mainly in the Northwest, the Southwest and

parts of East Anglia, the Southeast and the far South.

See the BSBI distribution map for Sheep’s-bit

It grows on acid soils on heathland, sea-cliffs, older sand

dunes, marine turf, hedge banks and stone walls.

Sheep’s-bit is a native, hairy, scabious-like, biennial herb,

growing up to 50cm.

The flowers are in a flattened, spherical flowerhead up

to 3.5cm.

Individual flowers are blue, 5-partite with spreading

narrow lobes, and up to 5mm.

Stamens form a column.

The 2 stigmas are short and stout.

Leaves are narrowly oblong, wavy, very hairy and up

to 5cm.

The stems are often lying on the ground at the base

(decumbent).

Sheep's-bit on a wall, Scilly Islands

Flowerhead

Close-up of flowers, corolla segments, stamen columns

Sepals shorter than corolla

Young hairy leaves

Older leaves

Decumbent stems