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Great Burnet

Sanguisorba officinalis

Great Burnet is a member of the rose family, although at first glance it does not appear very similar.

The rose family actually contains a large number of different plant species, including familiar members such as apples, pears, and raspberries.

How to spot it

Great Burnet has distinctive deep red flowers that sit on a tall, single stem. Each flower head is made of a tight cluster of individual flowers, which attract pollinating insects. The plant flowers in summer and early autumn. It can grow tall, up to a metre high. Its leaves are divided into oval leaflets.

Where to spot it

Great Burnet grows in grasslands and damp environments. It can be found in wetlands, such as floodplains, and wet meadows. It is also available as a cultivated plant for gardens. Great Burnet is a perennial plant that can live for many years.

How’s it doing?

Great Burnet can be found throughout England and Wales, and some parts of Scotland. It is rare in Ireland. Many of the wetter environments that Great Burnet favours are threatened or declining habitats.

The practice of improving farmland pastures by fertilising, or sowing nitrogen-fixing plants, has caused the species to decline in these habitats.

Things you might not know

  • The latin name for Great Burnet comes from the words ‘Sanguis‘, meaning blood, and ‘Sorbere‘ meaning to absorb. The roots of the plant were traditionally used to stop bleeding.
  • In parts of Europe, Great Burnet is relied on by threatened species of blue butterflies which lay their eggs only on this plant.

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