Mercurialis perennis
Mercurialis perennis
FamilyGenus: Mercurialisheimisch in Deutschland
🌿
13
Species
interact
🔗
19
Interactions
documented
🐛
1
Host relationships
Species
About this species
Mercurialis perennis is a native, shade-loving herbaceous perennial found in British woodlands. It produces low carpets of broad green leaves and tiny greenish flowers from April through to September, thriving in moist, fertile, calcareous soils.
Ecological network
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PollinationLarval hostFlower visit
Ecological significance
Mercurialis perennis is a native species in Great Britain. It forms part of the natural ground flora and does not exhibit invasive characteristics.
Annual cycle
Flowering takes place from April to September.
Safety note
No specific hazards are recorded for this species.
Standort & Merkmale
Light
Schatten
Moisture
Frisch (Mäßig feucht)
Soil
Starkzehrer (Nährstoffreicher/Fetter Boden)
Bloom time
Apr – Sep
Soil reaction
Basisch / Kalkhold
Bioregion
Continental
Growth form
Krautige Pflanze
Woodiness
Nicht verholzt
Leaf type
Breitblättrig
Plant height
0.273 m
Morphological traits: TRY ID3 (CC BY 3.0) & TRY ID81 (CC BY)
Pflege & Anbau
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Light: Full shade or partial shade.
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Soil: Fertile, humus-rich, well-drained but moisture-retentive, alkaline to neutral (calcareous).
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Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially in drier periods.
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Maintenance: No special pruning is required; allow the plant to spread naturally in suitable conditions.
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Placement: Best used in woodland gardens, shady borders, or naturalistic plantings where its ground-covering habit can develop.
Scientific profile
Mercurialis perennis is a low-growing herbaceous plant native in Great Britain. It reaches a typical height of about 27 cm and bears broad leaves. The species is non-woody and flowers from April to September. It is strongly associated with shaded conditions and prefers fresh, moderately moist, nutrient-rich, and calcareous to basic soils. The plant shows a low level of tolerance to disturbance.
Bestäuber & Besucher
5 Arten interagieren mit dieser Pflanze
Other flower visitors
7 other species visit the flowers
Apodemus sylvaticusCarduelis carduelisCorvus frugilegusColumba palumbusLinaria cannabinaMyodes glareolusEmberiza citrinella
Sources & data origin
•Interaktionsdaten via GloBI (CC-BY 4.0)
•Cook et al. (2025) UK Butterfly & Moth Traits (DOI: 10.5285/dbc7cc17-cbbd-49dd-bab4-8e8855768d66)
•pollinator_interactions
•FloraWeb / BfN
•EIVE 1.0 — Dengler et al. (2023), DOI: 10.3897/VCS.98324 (CC BY 4.0)
•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)
•TRY Categorical Traits (ID3) — Kattge et al. (2012), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.3 (CC BY 3.0)
•TRY Global Spectrum (ID81) — Díaz et al. (2016/2021), DOI: 10.17871/TRY.81 (CC BY)
•Govaerts R et al. (2025) — World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) v14. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: 10.34885/xs7h-ze42 (CC BY 4.0)
•Foto: © Adobe Stock / AdobeStock_1382716407
All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible. Attribution according to license terms. Full source overview →