So much loved by butterflies and bees, this tall, hairy perennial can be found throughout Ireland by rivers and pools, in ditches and on sea-cliffs. Sometimes reaching 150cm high, its robust reddish stems carry broad, flattish heads of numerous little dullish pink flowers (2-5mm across), each floret tubular with five short teeth and protruding stamens. They blossom from July to late September, the fruit being a 1 seeded pappus. The leaves are palmately lobed and in opposite pairs. This is a native plant which belongs to the family Asteraceae.
I first recorded this plant growing close to the beach at Beal Tra, Co Kerry in 1977 and photographed it in the Burren in 2003 and Gibletstown, Co Wexford in 2008. .
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
