Botanical atlas
Devil's-Bit Scabious
Succisa pratensis
This plant is kept in the atlas for identification and safety, not for use. Read the safety notes below before handling it, and keep it away from children, cats, and food.
Devil's-bit scabious earned its common name from centuries of use against scabies and other stubborn skin complaints, when country herbalists turned to its bitter root and leaves for washes and poultices. In old English and European household medicine, it was also steeped as a tea for coughs, sore throats, and lingering fevers, and was counted among the herbs used to help draw out infection from wounds and sores. It never rose to the fame of echinacea or elderflower, but for generations of cottage gardeners and hedgerow healers, it was a dependable, humble standby. Today it is cherished as much for its ecological gifts, feeding bees and butterflies late into the year, as for its herbal legacy.
Safety.
No significant toxicity has been documented for devil's-bit scabious, though it has not been well studied and reliable dosing information is limited.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies devil's-bit scabious from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
View on HerbLensHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.