Dwarf pansy (c) Lucy McRobert
Dwarf Pansy
Life in minature
A miniature glimpse of lilac in the grass, the dwarf pansy certainly lives up to its name, reaching a maximum height of just 1cm. Upon closer inspection, the bright purple of the petals morph into a wispy white, circling around a vivid yellow centre, crowned by darker flecks that appear almost like eyes. For such a small flower, the dwarf pansy is vibrant and striking.
The dwarf pansy has historically grown in three key locations on Scilly, which are Rushy Bay on Bryher, Appletree Banks on Tresco and on the uninhabited Island of Teän. It is a very small, native, annual flowering plant which you will not find growing anywhere else in the UK.
Whilst the Rushy Bay population has regularly produced sightings and records in recent years, the Tresco & Teän populations have not fared so well. The plant was possibly seen on Teän in 2010, but the last confirmed records were in 2004. This minuscule marvel had been potentially absent for around 17 years.
In 2014, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust began a programme of habitat restoration on the uninhabited island of Teän in an effort to see the dwarf pansy return to its former sites. This focused on restoring the dune and maritime grassland areas of Teän by removing encroaching bracken, coarse grasses and scrub. Consequently, in 2021, two specimens of dwarf pansy were discovered on Teän.
Since the Trust's regular management started, there have been increases in plant species such as western clover, lady's bedstraw, changing forget-me-not, Portland spurge, bird's-foot trefoil and stork's-bill. These plants have benefited from the twice annual cuts, which take place at appropriate times of the year.
Find out more
The Isles of Scilly is home to some rare and beautiful flora. Here are some of the other species you might see around the islands in the spring and summer...
