Pimpernel

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagalis arvensis)

They seek him here

They seek him there

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere

Is he in heaven or in hell

The demned elusive Pimpernel

Once upon a time, while reading The Scarlet Pimpernel as a youngster in America, I dreamed of seeing the namesake plant that the hero wore as his identifying badge while rescuing people from the French Revolution. Fast forward more decades than I care to admit, and my wish was granted. Not only that, but now we even have it growing wild in the garden! This annual arable weed, which blooms from May through October, was once common in fields of cereal crops. Unfortunately, it has declined significantly due to intensive farming practices, including the heavy use of herbicides. However, it's still common and widespread across much of the UK, particularly south of the Scottish border. It occurs around the margins of farm fields, along roadways and cliff edges, on chalk downlands and waste ground, and in gardens. Though generally a low, sprawling plant with trailing stems, it can grow up to 30 cm (about a foot) high. As its common name suggests, its five-petalled flowers are usually red, but the occasional plant has blue flowers instead. They open around 8 a.m. and typically close by around 3 p.m., a habit which has led to one of the plant's many folk names: Shepherd's Clock. It also closes its flowers on overcast days, leading to other folk names: Shepherd's Weatherglass and Old Man's Weathervane. The leaves are oval and stalkless. Originally found across Europe, this little plant has now been spread around much of the world, both intentionally as an ornamental and unintentionally as a minor arable weed. It is still used medicinally in India, as it once was in Europe, and is still sometimes eaten in salads.