11:06 AM Mon, Jul 13, 2009 | Permalink
Pat Feinstein  Email
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The most common pincushion flower is the light lavender-blue one, which I had enjoyed and nurtured for many years. It did not come back for me this year. I have just also learned that Scabiosas "are not particularly long-lived and may need replacing after a few seasons."
I did plant two others at a more sunny spot two years ago -- one also in lavender and the other one in light yellow. Both are doing extremely well, producing smaller flowers than my first pincushions.
Knautia (I used to pronounce it as k-nau-tia and was finally told by the people from the GoodEarth Organic Garden Center, from whom I bought the plants about 5 -6 years ago, that it's pronounced more like 'naughty') is a relative of other pincushions or scabiosas
(named after its herbal use of curing itching) with dark red, relatively smaller flowers. It is a perennial and has done well year after year among other flowering plants on my sidewalk garden.
This past weekend I picked up a new pincushion, Scabiosa caucasica "Kompliment." This one has larger flowers on 24-inch sturdy stems.
Scabiosa prefers sandy soil and full sun.
The flowers attract bees and butterflies. It is a low-maintenance plant, and deadheading the spent flowers is highly recommended.
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These are beautiful blooms! Thanks for sharing
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