Scabiosa columbaria
‘Butterfly Blue’
‘Butterfly Blue’ pincushion flower
caprifoliaceae
Light blue flowers; green leaves
12 in. (6 in.) high; 12 in. wide
Full sun or light shade
Blooms May–October
Zones 3–7
pruning Deadheading prolongs
bloom and keeps plants looking fresh.
It can be a tedious job, as an estab-
lished plant can produce hundreds of
flowers in a season! And be careful,
because it is easy to confuse the round
bristly deadheads and the flat bristly
new buds. The flowering stems usually
branch with 2 or more flowers per
stem. Deadhead by cutting the old
flower and its stem down to a new
lateral flowering stem or bud, and
when that lateral stem is finished
flowering it should be cut down to
another lateral flowering stem or bud,
if present, or to the basal foliage.
Sometimes the stems will not branch;
in that case, simply deadhead down to
the basal foliage. First-year plants give
the gardener a little honeymoon
period by requiring only a couple ofdeadheading sessions to keep the
plants going strong. In future years
more frequent deadheading will be
required. Also, with age, plants may
tend to get slightly woody, developing
a central leader, rather than staying in
a nice herbaceous mound. Simply
pinch back the woody central leader as
it develops. Any severe pruning can
kill the plant if no basal growth is
breaking. Old flowering stems can be
cut back before winter, but the basal
foliage should not be cut back because
it remains evergreen to semi-evergreen
for most of the winter. Simply cut off
any dead outer leaves in early spring
before new growth begins.
other maintenance Without
well-draining soil, plants are usually
short-lived, especially in heavy soils.
High-organic, fertile soil is best, and
plants prefer a neutral to alkaline pH.
They like a cooler, more humid climate
than is found in Ohio, but our summer
heat hasn’t seemed to ruffle them.
Divide every 3–4 years, but only if the
plants are crowded.
related plantS Scabiosa caucasica,
pincushion flower, bears fewer flowers
than S. columbaria, but deadheading
will help prolong bloom through the
summer.
Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’