Scabiosa, or Pincushion Flowers, come in a variety of colours, pink, lilac, blue and white which will flower from Spring until Autumn with a delicate fragrance. After flowering the heads become tight bristley balls that will produce seeds, much loved by birds. Any seedlings appearing around the plant can be transplanted around the garden. Overgrown clumps of Scabiosa can be lifted and divided in Spring to early Summer and the plant can also be propagated by cuttings taken in Summer.

Although Scabiosa enjoys full sun some shade from the midday heat is welcome. Pincushion Flowers will grow well in most types of soil with good drainage, sandy soil, with plenty of compost added, being the most ideally suited.

Indigenous varieties of Pincushion Flower are Scabiosa Africana and Scabiosa Incisa, both great perennials for the garden. Africana and Incisa varieties have beautiful flowers of mauve and white, and will flower from Spring to early Summer.

Another delightful strain of the Pincushion Flower is the Scabiosa Columbaria, which grows as a wildflower and also has mauve and white flowers. A hybrid of this variety of Scabiosa is ‘Pink mist’ which is more compact with pretty pink flowers, or the ‘Butterfly blue’ which has attractive lavender blue flowers.

Scabiosa will continue to thrive for approximately 3 years with an occasional mulch of fresh compost added to the soil. Regular deadheading as flowers fade will encourage plenty of new blooms throughout the flowering season.

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