White Pincushion Flower / Scabious Plants

White Scabious

With its pure white blooms waving gently in the breeze on wiry stems, Scabiosa caucasica Alba is a beautiful and delicate to way to add a feel of airy grace into your garden. It is one of the Perfecta Series of Scabious, or Pincushion flower, with larger blooms as much as 8cm across. The outer petals are much frillier than you would see in an ordinary Scabious, too.

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Reaching 60cm tall, these clump-forming perennials' flowers will grace your sunny borders from July to September. Perfect for attracting wildlife into the herbaceous border.

Great In Your Garden...

Why choose this white Scabious? Well, it's perfect for a sunny wildlife or cottage garden, being a magnet for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Team it with other wildlife-friendly, sun-loving perennials like Achilleas, or Verbascum Violetta. For the best effect, plant in large groups to produce a natural, billowing effect rather than dotting single plants around.

Scabiosa caucasica Alba makes excellent cut flowers for informal arrangements and posies. Keep cutting the ends off the stems to encourage water uptake and make the blooms have a longer vase life.

As Scabious won't tolerate acid or heavy, cold soils with excessive winter wet, grow them in a raised bed or in large pots if your soil doesn't suit the plant's needs.

Features

• Colour: Pure white petals.
• Flowering: July to September.
• Foliage: Grey-green leaves.
• Height: 60cm.
• Spread: 45cm.
• Spacing: 45cm.
• Position: Full sun.
• Soil: Well-drained, light, alkaline, neutral, not heavy or waterlogged.

Did You Know...

Scabious also goes by the names of Egyptian Bride, Mourning Bride and Starflower. Its Latin name Scabiosa comes from the word scabies, meaning “the itch” because it was believed to be a remedy for the skin disease.

Plant in full sun in wel- drained neutral or alkaline soil. Avoid heavy or waterlogged soils. Add organic matter and grit if necessary to aid drainage and plant 45cm apart. Water until established. Suitable for use in containers.

Mulch or feed with granular general fertiliser in spring. Deadhead to encourage more blooms. Divide overcrowded clumps in spring. Stake in exposed gardens. Top-dress with grit in autumn to improve winter drainage if needed.