Botanical Name: Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
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Common Name: Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower  
Plant photo of: Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Parking Strip, Patio, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Sunny Border

  • Description

  • Notes

'Butterfly Blue' is a Scabiosa selected for its rich lavender-blue flowers that blossom from late spring until frost. The flowers have ruffled outer petals that encircle a similarly colored dome with protruding stamens, giving rise to its common name. the foliage is clumping and basal, with green, deeply lobed leaves. Grows about 15 to 18 inches tall and wide. Use at the front of a sunny border, along a path, or in a parkstrip.
Grow in well drained soil in full sun. Will not tolerate wet soils. Sandy-loam or amended clay soils are fine. Deadheading will prolong the bloom period, though leaving some flowers to go to seed may result in new scabiosa for the garden.