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scabiosa
Scientific Name: Knautia
Family: Dipsacaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Scabiosa: The Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa, commonly known as Pincushion Flower or Scabious, is a captivating genus of flowering plants belonging to the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae).
Considerations for Pets
- Scabiosa plants can have wiry stems.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Scabiosa
- Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)
- Common Names: Pincushion Flower, Scabious, Drumstick Scabious, Sweet Scabious
Morphology and Growth Habits
- Scabiosa can be annuals, biennials, or herbaceous or evergreen perennials.
- Leaves can be simple or pinnately lobed.
- Characterized by distinctive flower-heads that resemble pincushions.
- Flowers have delicate, frilly petals surrounding a central "pincushion".
- Flowers are available in a variety of colors, including blue, white, pink, purple, lavender, creamy apricot-yellow, salmon pink, and near-black.
- Stems are often wiry.
Distribution and Habitat
- Hardy Scabiosa plants originate from sunny climates but are now suitable for growing in the UK.
- Scabiosa africana is found on mountains.
- Centaurea scabiosa has apparently declined due to the destruction of old grasslands, although it can colonize disturbed habitats.
Cultivars and Varieties
- Examples include:
- Scabiosa caucasica (Perennial Pincushion)
- Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'
- Scabiosa 'Pink Mist (PBR)'
- Scabiosa 'Blue Jeans'
- Scabiosa atropurpurea (Pincushion Flower)
- Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Tall Double Mix'
- Scabiosa stellata 'Sternkugel' (Drumstick Scabious)
- Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Fata Morgana' (Sweet Scabious)
- Scabiosa columbaria (Small Scabious)
- Scabiosa Caucasica Clive Greaves
- Scabiosa 'Vivid Violet'
- Scabiosa caucasica 'Perfecta Blue'
- Scabiosa columbaria subsp. ochroleuca
- Scabiosa atropurpurea Black Knight
- Scabiosa caucasica Isaac House Hybrids
Ecological Role
- Scabiosa is attractive to bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, making it a good choice for flowering meadows or wildflower gardens.
- Feathery, pincushion-like flowers attract beneficial insects.
Quirky Facts
- Scabiosa columbaria has several common names in other languages: Mamokhale, Bitterbos, Hlaku-Ea-Pitsi, Ibheka, Ilelemimoya, or Isilawu Esikhulu.
Growing Information
- Scabiosa is easy and delightful to grow.
- Prefers sun and fertile soil.
- Tolerates any fertile soil but may be short-lived on acidic soils.
- Likes full sun and grows in any well-drained soils, neutral to slightly alkaline.
- Long-flowering, with young plants often being the most prolific.