Anagallis tenella ‘Studland’

Anagallis tenella, the bog pimpernel is an evergreen perennial member of the family Primulaceae. It has creeping stems that root at the nodes when they come into contact with the soil surface. Native to western Europe including England, in damp turf, bogs and beside ponds and lakes. Anagallis tenella ‘Studland’ was collected in Dorset and has flowers a deeper shade of pink than the more normal forms found.

Anagallis tenella can be found under a number of synonyms. One of them is Anagallis palustris (swampy or marshy) showing its liking for damp, boggy places. It is also known as A. repens (creeping or crawling) showing its typical growth habit and A. serpyllifolia (thyme-leaved) describing its foliar similarity to thyme. The flowers are tubular at the base with five spreading lobes to at least half the corolla length. They tend to open in sunshine, closing by late afternoon. Anagallis tenella ‘Studland’ is a useful pot-plant for late Spring/early Summer shows.

Author
Ray Drew