Knautia Integrifolia

Knautia integrifolia is a Mediterranean annual with slender branching stems, softly hairy leaves and small pincushion flower heads in lilac, pinkish purple or mauve. The airy blooms hover above the foliage from late spring into summer and attract bees and butterflies without creating a heavy mass. Native to dry fields, open slopes and disturbed ground around the Mediterranean, it thrives in sun and lean soil and completes its display in a single season. It is ideal for informal borders, gravel gardens and naturalistic annual planting.