Scabiosa atropurpurea
Mournful widow, Sweet scabious, Egyptian rose
- Height × spread
- 0.9m × 0.5m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This summery plant holds its little pincushion like flowers on long wiry stems that bend and move. The flowers are coloured in shades of purple to red. If the plant is not dead-headed the spent flowers will intermingle with the flowers to interesting effect. The plant has slender leaves that are often lobed, and coloured grey green. If it is deadheaded regularly it should flower from June into September. Give this a dry sunny site. Good grown in a group, but also pleasant with grasses. This is often grown as an annual, though it may achieve biennial or even herbaceous status. This stands 90cm (3ft) in height with a 50cm (20in) spread.
- Flower colour
- Purple, Red
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Column
- Height
- 0.9m
- Spread
- 0.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Bedding plant, Bee attraction, Butterfly attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
AutumnNow
Autumn - late · Planting
Divide every 3 years
Physically divide clumps every three years, or the plant will flower and grow less well. Discard or give away unwanted portions, or replant them to make a larger display. Plants can sometimes take a while to recover from this procedure.
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Summer
Summer - early · Outdoors
Feed a general fertiliser
Where plants have moderate needs for nutrients, they can simply be given a general feed, fairly early in the growth season so that the growth has plenty of time to harden off before the cold weather.
Give plants a general boost with the application of a general purpose fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plant, with amounts as directed on the feed label.
Planting & general
Planting
Deadhead blooms during flowering season
Remove flowers as they turn brown and fade. Snip the stem just below the bloom. This will keep the plant tidy and encourage more flowers.
The removal of spent flowers encourages the plant to produce fresh ones, rather than spend its energy on the development of seeds.
Found in
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