Scabiosa

Overview: 

Scabiosa is a beautiful cottage garden flower that evokes an English summer vibe. They are easy to grow, and bloom typically in late spring or early summer here in our zone 9b garden. They have the nickname pincushion flowers because the seed pods resemble a cushion full of pins! How cool.

We brake scabiosas into 3 main catigoreies

Annual seed scabiosa: These are grown from seed every year, and come in an array of colors. These are a great economical option, especially for mass plantings or for wildflower fields.

Scoop scabiosa: These varieties are grown from cutting and are typically purchased. They come in so many beautiful colors and are bigger than the annual seed-grown varieties. These are typically the scabiosas available in the florist trade.

Perennial Scabiosa: We don’t grow perennial scabiosa our climate is too hot for them to establish, but there are some pretty cool ones including the ‘Fama’ series.

Seed starting:

Starting seeds for Scabiosa is relatively easy. I usually sow 1-2 seeds per cell and thin to one per cell after germination. Germination occurs typically after 3-5 days. I sprinkle a fine layer of vermiculite atop after sowing seeds. Check out my seed starting guide for more tips and tricks for indoor seed starting. Start seeds indoors in August-October.

When to plant outdoors: 

October-December

Spacing: 

9- 12” apart

Height:

24-48”

Sun: 

Full sun 6-8+ hours

Flower Support:

Yes, hortnova netting or peony cages

Fertilizing:

consistently feed plants for best blooms

Typical bloom time:

mid-April-June

Succession plant?

No

Seed Sourcing:

Johnny’s seeds and Geo seeds are my go-to’s.

Pairing plants:

yarrow, snapdragons, dahlias, feverfew, and monarda

Favorite varieties:

Seed scabiosa:

Mix of seed grown scabiosa, ‘Oxford Blue’, ‘Black knight’ and ‘sangria’.

Scabiosa ‘Oxford Blue’ Growing through the fence

Scoop scabiosa:

Scoop Scabiosa ‘Blackberry’ is a classic dark mahogany blackberry color that is a stunning addition to any bouquet or garden.

Scoop scabiosa ‘French Vanilla’ is serving that blush realness. A wedding florist’s favorite pics for a gorgeous wedding work. (above)

Scoop scabiosa ‘Candy’ is what it sounds like, delicious! These have beautiful magenta, red blooms like no other flower. (above)

Scoop scabiosa ‘Purple lace’ is giving all the purple vibes with a white lace at the edges of the petal. Beautiful unique flower perfect for the home cottage garden or flower bouquets.