Scabiosa columbaria
Scabiosa columbaria
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Prefers a neutral or alkaline soil and a sunny position[1]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[2]. Grows well in a dry sunny meadow[1]. The flowers are a good nectar source for bees and lepidoptera, the plant is also a good food source for the caterpillars of many butterfly species[1]. This species name is sometimes treated as the group name for an aggregate of species[1]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[3].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seedlings are subject to damping off[2] so water with care and make sure to give adequate ventilation. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Scabiosa+columbaria>
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [3]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
- [4]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.