Scabious 'Butterfly Blue' (Pincushion Flower) – Hardy Perennial (2L Pot)

Scabious 'Butterfly Blue' is a compact hardy perennial that produces its pincushion flowers on wiry stems from early summer until the first frosts.

The flowers sit above a neat mound of finely divided grey green leaves, giving an airy, informal look that works beside grasses and other sun lovers. Few perennials flower for as long, and the nectar rich blooms are a magnet for bees and butterflies. They cut well for the house too. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

It wants an open, sunny position in free draining soil, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Heavy ground that stays wet over winter is the one thing it will not forgive. Once settled it copes with dry soil and needs very little attention, and its compact habit makes it a good plant for the front of a border or for a patio pot.

Supplied as one established plant in a 2 litre pot, ready to plant straight out.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Pincushion flower, scabious
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 30 to 40cm tall, 30 to 40cm wide
• Growth Habit: Compact, clump forming
• Perfect For: Front of a sunny border, cottage and gravel gardens, containers, cutting
• Foliage: Finely divided grey green leaves
• Flowering Time: June to October
• Planting Position: Full sun. Suits a patio container and tolerates dry soil once established
• Soil Type: Free draining, neutral to slightly alkaline. Not heavy wet clay
• Hardiness: Fully hardy across Britain, though winter wet is more of a risk than cold
• Maintenance: Low. Deadhead through the season and cut old foliage back in early spring
• Seasonal Interest: Summer and autumn
• Type: Hardy herbaceous perennial