Bupleurum rotundifolium L.
Hare's Ear
Thorow-wax is an unusual member of the carrot family, distinctive for its rounded, blue-green leaves that the stem appears to pierce and pass straight through, giving rise to the old name. The small yellow-green flowers sit in umbels cupped by leaf-like bracts, an ornamental and slightly architectural effect.
About
Thorow-wax is an unusual member of the carrot family, distinctive for its rounded, blue-green leaves that the stem appears to pierce and pass straight through, giving rise to the old name. The small yellow-green flowers sit in umbels cupped by leaf-like bracts, an ornamental and slightly architectural effect. It is an annual that grows on disturbed, often calcareous ground. In Britain it is an archaeophyte, an ancient introduction rather than a true native: once a locally abundant weed of chalk and limestone arable fields, it declined sharply with cleaner seed and modern herbicides and is now effectively extinct as a wild arable plant.
Today it survives mainly where deliberately sown in wildflower seed mixtures, or as an occasional casual near habitation. Flowering in summer, its nectar is accessible to short-tongued insects such as hoverflies and small bees. It is grown chiefly for its curiosity value and cottage-garden charm, and as a way of keeping a vanished arable wildflower in cultivation.
Also known as
Thoroughwax · Thorow-wax · Throw-wax · hare's-ear · round-leaved thoroughwax
Synonyms
Bupleurum agrestinum · Bupleurum griffithii · Bupleurum marginatum · Bupleurum perfoliatum · Bupleurum perfoliatum rotuncifolium · Bupleurum perfoliatum rotundifolium · Bupleurum rotundifolium alpinum · Bupleurum rotundifolium oblongum · Bupleurum rotundifolium petiolatum · Bupleurum rotundifolium typicum
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.