SCIENTIFIC NAME: Scabiosa caucasica

COMMON NAME: Pincushion flower

FAMILY: Dipsacaceae

TYPE: perennial

LEAVES: basal stem; leaves lanceolate, entire and covered with whitish bloom, pinnately lobed and opposite.

FLOWER: 3 to 4" wide inflorescence, flat, 3-5 shallowly lobed petals; pale blue surrounding white to pale yellow center.

SEASON OF BLOOM: early summer

GROWTH HABIT: 18 to 24" mounding

SOIL: rich, loamy

SUN: part shade in the South

HARDINESS: Zones 3-7

UTILIZATION: perennial border; cut flower

DISEASES:

INSECTS AND RELATED PESTS:

PROPAGATION: basal cuttings, seed, division

MAINTENANCE: divide every few years

NOTES: slow growth, better in cooler climates