Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Ace of Spades'
Mournful widow, Sweet scabious, Egyptian rose
- Height × spread
- 0.7m × 0.3m
- 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 is a short lived perennial that is commonly grown as an annual. Slender stems hold domed, intense flowers. They are coloured a rich dark-purple, nearly black in some light, swaying on their long stems. The flowers are composed of many tiny petals, each purple edged, black within, exotic and delightful. They carry a pleasing honey fragrance. The long slender leaves are inconsequential, the flowers are everything. These are best grown in neutral to alkaline, or only slightly acidic, soil in a sunny site. Too much acidity shortens their life. They need to have well drained to dry conditions to do well. Although they flower best in rich conditions they can have a lax growth habit as well so may need staking, poor soil yields fewer flowers. They reach around 70cm (2ft 6in) high with a 30cm (1ft) spread.
- Flower colour
- Black, Purple
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Column
- Height
- 0.7m
- Spread
- 0.3m
- 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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