Scabiosa

( skay - bee - OH - suh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of annuals and perennials is commonly called Pincushion Flower and needs full sun and moderate to regular water. These flowers will attract butterflies to your garden. Each flower has protruding stamens and blooms beginning in midsummer through the first frost of the year. To prolong bloom, flowers should be deadheaded regularly. Pincushion flowers are fantastic in mixed borders and as cut flowers.

Scabiosa Species and Varietals

The genus Scabiosa is a member of the Honeysuckle plant family Caprifoliaceae and includes around 70 accepted species. Pincushion Flower growing zones vary depending on the species; for more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Scabiosa atropurpurea (Pincushion Flower, Mourning Bride)
This species is an annual in zones 1-24, H1 and H2 and can persist as a perennial where winters are mild. It is native to southern Europe and reaches 2.5-3 feet tall and a foot wide. Flowers top stems in black-purple, salmon, pink, rose, and white. These flowers will attract birds to your yard. Variety 'Black Knight' has almost black dark maroon flowers.

Scabiosa caucasica (Pincushion Flower)
This species is grown as a perennial in zones 1-10 and 14-24 and is native to the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey. It reaches 1.5-2.5 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, and has white, bluish, or lavender flowers. This species needs partial shade in warmer climates, but can otherwise take full sun conditions. Varieties include 'Fama' (with blue flowers with wide rays) and 'Fama White' (with white flowers).

Scabiosa columbaria
This perennial grows best in zones 2-11 and 14-24 and is native to Europe, Africa and Asia. Leaves are greyish-green and flowers are lavender-blue, pink or white. This species can bloom almost year-round in mild climates. Choice varieties include 'Butterfly Blue' (with deep lavender-blue blooms) and 'Pink Mist' (with pink flowers). Scabiosa columbaria ochroleuca gas white to cream-colored flowers and reaches about 2 feet tall.

Scabiosa japonica (Japanese Scabious)
These plants are native to central and southern Japan and have been introduced to the Dominican Republic. These are biennial to short-lived perennial plants that reach between 4 and 20 inches tall when mature and in bloom. There are many garden ornamental cultivars, including 'Blue Note', 'Blue Star', 'Blue Diamonds', 'Ritz Blue', and 'Ritz Rose'.

Scabiosa stellata (Lomelosia stellata) (Starflower Pincushions, Starflower Scabious)
This species grows well in zones 1-24 and is an annual from the western Mediterranean. It reaches 1.5 feet tall and a foot wide. Flowers are pale blue and mature quickly to brownish-bronze heads that are great for dried arrangements.

Caring for Scabiosa

These easy-to-grow short-lived perennial flowers are best in full sun (between 6 and 8 hours each day) or partial shade (especially in warmer climates). Scabiosa does not do well in shade. Ensure that soil is well-draining, moderately fertile, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 8.0 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. An inch of water per week is typically sufficient for young plants. At maturity, Scabiosa is considered to be somewhat drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental irrigations during extended periods of drought or dry weather. The warmer the weather is, the more water they will need.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Pruning Scabiosa plants is straightforward; simply remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the active growing season in spring and early summertime. Deadhead flower stems as they appear (if harvesting seeds later on for propagation, make sure to leave some on the plant to mature). Divide Scabiosas every few years to improve performance if plants are struggling. For instructions on how to successfully divide Scabiosa flowers, see the Propagation section below.

Propagation

Scabiosa, or Pincushion Flower, can be propagated by division, cutting or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division or cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Pincushion Flower, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Scabiosa by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Scabiosa by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
In early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new plant.

Propagating Scabiosa by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.