Nearly Native - European Garden Plants – Scabious

Name - the botanical name is scabiosa, which arose from scabiosa herba, the 'herb for scabies' – not an attractive way to get your name! Scabies is an itchy condition of the skin caused by a tiny mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) – it’s a horrible thing to get and sadly, scabious has absolutely no effect on it!

Description – Scabious are available in a soft lavender blue, lilac or creamy white and their gentle, pastel-coloured daisy-like flowers often seen in cottage gardens and cornfield fringes.

Origin - They have been cultivated since 1800, when they were brought from Hungary and Mediterranean Russia. Scabious are close relatives of the teasel, though you wouldn't know it to look at them. This pretty plant is commonly found growing on chalk grassland in sunny meadows and roadsides where sheep seem to seek it out as a favourite food. The plant is particular good for wildlife as the rounded-flat flower heads on long stalks attract a range of hoverflies, bees and butterflies while the seeds from the pincushion-like seed heads are eaten by birds. The plants prefer a position in full sun and a moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. You will need to protect young plants from slug damage using environmentally friendly slug pellets or beer traps. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering and cut back the faded flower stems in autumn. Lift and divide large clumps every three years in spring.

For decoration - The flowers are valuable for both fresh and dried flower arrangements.

European scabious photograph by spacykate23, used under a creative commons attribution

 

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