Description

Common Toadflax is a medium grassland perennial with greyish foliage. From June to October its spear of yellow snapdragon-like flowers with orange bulges, backed with long straight spurs, make Common toadflax an attractive and familiar plant of the British countryside.

Habitat Information

Common Toadflax is a native perennial of open grassland on dry soils where productivity is low and especially where there is some occasional disturbance. Habitats include hedge banks, road verges, embankments, waste ground and less frequently on cultivated land. Although found on acid sites it is more frequent on calcareous soils.

Common Toadflax is spread by wind borne seed and once established it will produce adventitious buds on its roots which can, in time, lead to large but diffuse colonies of plants. The flower structure of Common toadflax helps ensure its pollination by larger bees.

Growing Information

Sow at any time of the year. Common toadflax is a component of EM7, our meadow mixture for sandy soils and would also work in EM6.