Scientific Name:
Scabiosa columbaria
Pronunciation:
skab-ee-OH-suh kuh-lum-BAR-ee-uh
Common Name:
dwarf pincushion flower
Family Name:
Caprifoliaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Floppy, perennial mound with compound, deeply lobed, smooth papery leaves that are variable in shape; inflorescence had-like with many violet-blue florets.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Mounded, Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Alpine, Attract butterflies, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Ground cover, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include S. ‘Butterfly Blue’. Compare to S. japonica and S. atropurpurea.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Spike, Head-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Blue (cv. 'Butterfly Blue' is lavender blue)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Cultivar shown is Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 1193/1293
- HORT 2355
Location(s):
- (CGW) Community Garden West
- (HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : cv. Butterfly Blue