Sweet scabious

Sweet scabious: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, branching plant 60–80 cm tall and about 30 cm wide, with a rosette of leaves at the base.

Leaves

Lobed or coarsely toothed at the base, finely divided higher up; mid-green.

Flower

Domed heads 3–5 cm across on long stems; the outer florets are larger and the protruding styles look like pins in a pincushion.

Colour

Deep wine-red in the wild form; varieties in white, pink, lilac, blue-purple and almost black.

Fruit

Round to egg-shaped seed heads with papery calyces, good for drying.

Roots

A taproot that dislikes wet feet.

Flowering: June–October · Sowing: March–May · Plants: May · Pruning: May and July–September

Why grow it?

• Flowers from June until the first frost if you pick regularly.
• Excellent for bees and butterflies, which land on it all summer.
• A superb cut flower with long, sturdy stems that lasts well in a vase.
• The rounded seed heads look good in fresh and dried arrangements.
• A rich range of colours, from white and soft pink to deep wine-red and almost black.

Sweet scabious: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: it then flowers most freely and the stems stay sturdy.
• Well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moist; cold, waterlogged soil makes the roots rot.
• A sheltered spot stops the tall stems from blowing over.
• Plant 25–30 cm apart, or in rows 30 cm apart in a cutting garden.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -5 °C)

Goes well with

• Cosmos: Flowers just as long and is equally suited to a cutting garden.
• Purpletop vervain: Purple clusters at the same height, which also attract butterflies.
• Zinnia: Bright colours next to the softer scabious, for colourful bunches.
• Ornamental grasses: Airy stems among which the round heads seem to float.
• Cornflower: Blue next to wine-red or white, in a sunny wildflower meadow.

Sweet scabious: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May.

1. Sow indoors in March–April in pots or trays at 15–20 °C and cover the seed lightly.
2. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots once they have two true leaves, and harden them off outdoors by day in late April.
3. Plant out in May, or sow directly in situ in April–May.
4. Set the young plants at the same depth as in the pot, 25–30 cm apart.
5. Water after planting and during the first weeks if it is dry.
6. Pinch out the tip when the plant is about 15 cm tall: it then branches and gives more stems.

Care

Water

Once established, only in prolonged drought. It copes better with drought than with wet feet.

Feeding

Not needed in ordinary garden soil; too much fertiliser gives floppy stems.

Picking

Pick or cut off faded flowers regularly and it will keep blooming until the frosts.

Support

Tall varieties lean after rain or wind; netting, a few twigs or a support ring keeps them upright.

Cut flowers

Cut flowers that have just opened, ideally in the morning, and put them straight into water.

Tip: For arrangements, include a deep wine-red or near-black variety: it adds depth next to paler flowers. Cut the stems long and the plant will branch again.

Sweet scabious: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May and July–September.

When: Pinch out the young plants in May. From July into autumn, regularly remove faded flowers.

How:

• Pinch out the growing tip when the plant is 15 cm tall, just above a pair of leaves.
• Cut off faded heads with their whole stem, back to just above a leaf or side bud.
• In September, leave a few heads if you want to dry the seed heads or save seed.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in March–April at 15–20 °C, or in situ in April–May. The seed usually germinates within 1–3 weeks.

Saving seed

Let a few seed heads ripen until brown and dry, rub out the seed and store it dry. Varieties do not always come true to colour.

Sweet scabious: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Grown as an annual: it tolerates light frost down to about −5 °C, but usually dies over winter.
• In a dry, sheltered spot it sometimes survives a mild winter and flowers again the following year.
• Clear away the dead plants in November, or leave a few seed heads standing as a winter silhouette.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer, especially in dry weather. Water at the base, space the plants well and cut off affected leaves.
• Flopping: Tall stems bend after rain. Put supports in place early and do not feed.
• Slugs: They eat young plants. Plant out sturdy, pot-grown plants and pick slugs off in the evening.
• Few flowers: If you do not pick, it sets seed and stops flowering. Remove faded heads regularly.
• Root rot: In wet, heavy soil the roots rot. Work in coarse sand or gravel, or choose a raised bed.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors.
• April: Sow indoors or outdoors. Prick out and harden off.
• May: Plant out. Sow in situ. Pinch out young plants.
• June: First flowers. Put supports in place.
• July: Pick for arrangements. Remove faded flowers.
• August: Full flower. Water in long dry spells. Watch for mildew.
• September: Pick. Dry the seed heads or save seed.
• October: Keeps flowering until the frost.
• November: Clear away the dead plants.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The name comes from the Latin scabies, ‘itch’: people once believed that related species helped against skin complaints.
• The name pincushion flower refers to the protruding styles, which look like pins stuck in a cushion.
• Scabious now belongs to the honeysuckle family, like the teasel; the two used to form a teasel family of their own.