SCABIOSA. Pincushion flower. Europe, Asia and Africa. Tough, undemanding plants (ours are perennials) with toothed or divided leaves. They display heads of flowers like little pincushions during the summer months. Most are winter-deciduous. Sun, reasonably well drained soil, moderate to little watering. Hardy as indicated.
caucasica. Perennial pincushion flower. Sturdy plants with large, variably lobed or dissected leaves and 1’ to 2½’ stems of lavender flower heads. The lower, or outer, ring of flowers in each 2-3" head is enlarged, giving it the appearance of a lace cap hydrangea in miniature. Colors range from pure white to deep lavender. ‘Perfecta’ and ‘House’s Hybrids’ are popular large flowered seed strains. 0oF. or below.
columbaria. A clumping perennial, similar to S. caucasica. However, the leaves and stems are usually hairy. It also blooms more profusely, with smaller flower heads on 1-2’ stems. Two recent selections of particular interest are ‘Blue Butterfly’, with deep blue-lavender heads, and ‘Pink Mist’, with bright pink flowers.
farinosa. A beautiful evergreen semishrub. It grows 1-2’ tall and nearly round in outline. The leaves are undivided, dark and shiny, quite unlike those of most scabiosas. The flower heads are small and lavender in color. Evidently 15oF. or less.
graminifolia. This is a profusely clumping plant with leafy stems 6-12" tall. The leaves are narrow and grass-like, as the species name suggests, and given a silvery-grey cast by tiny hairs. The many flower heads are over 1" in diameter and colored pink to lavender, occasionally even violet. 10oF. or less.
lucida is a miniature species, with small, dissected leaves in tight basal clumps. It has been completely evergreen here. Many tight lavender flower heads are carried on 4-6" stems, beginning in mid-spring and often continuing through much of the summer. 0oF. or below.
ochroleuca. Like many of the plants we receive, even from quite knowledgeable friends, this one is something of a botanical mystery. It forms tight tufts, each with several rosettes of 2", divided to undivided leaves. Branched 8-15" flower stems arise almost continuously from the clumps, displaying flower heads of pale yellow. Hardiness unknown—probably 10oF. or less.