Plant Profile: Scabiosa Columbaria – Butterfly Blue

Scabiosa Butterfly Blue has surprised me in a good way for so many different reasons and I highly recommend adding this delightful flower to your garden! I have seen this plant before at our local box store but dismissed it because it’s frilly, lacy leaves looked like something that would not survive our scorching heat or dry winds. Boy was I ever wrong! This was one of the first things this plant proved my preconceived conceptions wrong. It grew really well this summer in full afternoon sun, in the ground with temperatures well over a hundred degrees fahrenheit for several days straight. I am so glad I took a chance with this gem of a plant because it has turned into one of my most favorite plants in the garden. 

Like I mentioned above, I have always passed up giving Scabiosa a try but one day they were on the clearance rack at our garden center and I decided why not give them a try. They were pretty beat up looking plants but I picked out two of them. I brought them home, cleaned them up and planted them in the ground. At that time they did not have any blossoms on them. The next thing that they surprised me on is that they took to being planted in the ground and thrived. We do not have much luck planting directly in the ground here. We have very sandy soil and pine trees with aggressive roots. The location I picked also provided full afternoon sun which is a death sentence for quite a few plants but I was determined to get a planter growing in that spot so I planted the clearance Scabiosa there. The Scabiosas took off and started blooming these wonderful blueish-purple flower clusters on long, thin stems. Even more impressive is that the leaves stayed dark green and did not burn in the mid summer heat. These two plants were so enjoyable to look at for the rest of spring and all through the summer. As we entered fall I figured they would not last through the winter. I did a little online reading about Scabiosa Butterfly Blue and their hardiness zones are five through nine and will bloom until the first frost. Well my next surprise with this plant is that mine are still blooming! (I am writing this in late February.) We have had consistent nights in the 20’s since October and several nights in the upper teens and these two plants just keep blooming! These plants have brought so much joy and beauty to a spot in the yard that has been very trying and disappointing. I am so pleased with them.

There are several different varieties of Scabiosa but the two plants I currently own are Butterfly Blue and these are the ones I will be talking about in this post. I have ordered some new varieties of Scabiosa seeds to try and I will let you know how that goes in a different post. Butterfly Blue’s are a beautiful violet-blue color and are the most popular cultivar of Scabiosa. I wanted to try some other colors of Scabiosa so I ordered: Scabiosa Atropurpurea Scarlet (Burgundy), Scabiosa Atropurpurea Florist’s Pink (Bubblegum Pink), Scabiosa Atropurpurea Snowmaiden (White) and Scabiosa Atropurpurea Florist’s Blue (Violet).

Scabiosa Description

One website described Scabiosa Butterfly Blue as, “reliable flower machines” and I find that to be a very accurate description! The violet-blue, 2” flower clusters are perched on top of long flowy stems, these are quite showy in the breeze. The plant is a beautifully rounded 12” – 18” mound of frilly dark green evergreen leaves. Scabiosa will bloom in Spring through to the first frost, although mine have continued to bloom through the winter, just not as vigorously as they would in the warmer temperatures.

Interesting Scabiosa Facts

• Scabiosa are also known as “Pincushion Flower,” named after the flower being shaped like a pincushion.
• The latin name for Scabiosa is “scabere,” meaning to scratch. This is mostly derived from the Roman era when they used Scabiosa to treat scabies and other skin conditions. 
• Scabiosa succisa has been used by African tribes to treat coughs, fevers and internal inflammation.
• Scabiosa is a member of the Caprifoliaceae or Honeysuckle family.
• Scabiosa is the national flower of Mongolia.
• Scabiosa is common in the Caucasus Mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas.
• Scabiosa has two polar opposite symbolisms. One is that it symbolizes death or widowhood. The other is that it represents pure love because of its sweet fragrance.
• Scabiosa flowers are long lasting after they have been cut, making them a great choice in floral arrangements.
• Scabiosa is both drought tolerant and deer resistant.
• Scabiosa Butterfly Blue is the most common cultivar.

Scabiosa Care

Scabiosa is a very adaptable non toxic plant. It does well in sunny or partially sunny locations and is pet safe. It is known to handle many different soil types as long as the soil is well draining. Scabiosa is an excellent plant for all gardening skill levels because it is easy to grow and very resilient to many different conditions. They do well in rock gardens, cottage style gardens or even containers. Because of their versatility, they are a must have for your perennial collection.

Should you deadhead your Scabiosa? I like to. Although I don’t believe it is necessary to deadhead your plants, I like the look of a cleaned up plant better. If you want your plant to self seed, then leave the flowers on the plant to dry out.

Scabiosa are considered to be “light feeders” and require little to no fertilizer. If you would like to increase flower production, use a balanced flower fertilizer during the spring and summer months.

Scabiosa are drought tolerant once established and can handle a little bit of drying out between waterings. They do not like and will not handle soggy roots.

Scabiosa are not known to have any serious insect or disease problems, another reason to add them to your landscape. 

Scabiosa Propagation

I have read that Scabiosa can easily propagate from cuttings or seeds. I have not tried propagating from cuttings yet and I am going to experiment with that this spring.

I have just started trying to propagate them from seed. I am trying several new varieties to add some different colors to the garden. So far they seem to have a low germination rate. It might take a few more tries to learn the tricks for starting these lovely little plants from seed.

Another method of propagation I read about is division. I have not had my plants long enough to find it necessary for division so I can not add any insight to this topic.

Scabiosa Companion Planting

Scabiosa not only attracts pollinators but many other beneficial insects to the garden such as hoverflies and ladybugs. Since Scabiosa are excellent plants for attracting beneficial insects to the garden and bloom year round, they would make an excellent addition to your vegetable garden. 

Quick Facts: Scabiosa Columbaria – Butterfly Blue

I really hope if you come across Scabiosa at your garden center that you consider giving it a try. They are wonderful plants to have in the garden!

Happy desert gardening!

Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.