Sheep's bit
size:
10 to 45 centimeters
color:
blue
blossoms:
June through August
pollination:
insects
reproduction:
seeds
life span:
biennual to perennial
- Dut: Zandblauwtje
- Lat: Jasione montane
- Eng: Sheep's Bit
- Fren: Jasione des montagnes
- Ger: Sandknöpfchen
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- Sheeps Bit, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Sheep's bit
Sheep's bit looks a lot like brown knapweed and a few other members of the daisy family, but it belongs to the bellflower family. Each 'petal' of a daisy is a complete flower and turns into a seed while bellflowers produce capsules filled with seeds. The hairy-stemmed sheep's bit is called zandblauwtje (sand-blue) in Dutch, which is a good description. One place you find this blue flower is in the dunes.
- Distribution and habitat
- Six-spot burnet on Sheep's bit, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
The habitat for sheep's bit is declining. Nevertheless, it is still fairly common in the dune region and on sandy grounds. Sheep's bit grows best on open, sunny and dry sandy places. It does not tolerate heavy fertilization. You find sheep's bit on grassy areas, in road shoulder, along train tracks, in sandy pastures, along canals, in pine forests and on fallow terrains. Sheep's bit is also found on the 'tuinwallen' (garden walls) on Texel.
