Black pasque flower

Here in the Leiser Berge Nature Park, the black pasque flower is already in bloom in March.

The black pasque flower is found in Central Europe on calcareous dry grasslands or in open woodlands.

The black pasque flower is a subspecies of the common pasque flower (Pulsatilla pratensis) and is characterised by its dark, purple to black-violet, bell-shaped flowers.

The surface of the flowers, which often appear to droop, is covered in felt-like hairs, and the pinnate leaves emerge after flowering. It grows to a height of 10 to 30 cm.

The black pasque flower is rare and highly endangered due to habitat loss. A particular threat is the encroachment of scrub onto its open habitats as a result of land being taken out of use. Like the large pasque flower, the meadow pasque flower benefits from extensive grazing in its habitat.

Like all pasqueflowers, this species belongs to the buttercup family and is poisonous when fresh. Despite its unassuming appearance, it is ecologically valuable and an important component of dry grassland flora.