Scabiosa columbaria
| Scabiosa columbaria | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Scabiosa columbaria (common name: pigeon's scabious)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seedlings are subject to damping off[1] so water with care and make sure to give adequate ventilation. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a neutral or alkaline soil and a sunny position[2]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1].
Grows well in a dry sunny meadow[2]. The flowers are a good nectar source for bees and lepidoptera, the plant is also a good food source for the caterpillars of many butterfly species[2].
This species name is sometimes treated as the group name for an aggregate of species[2].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, south and east from the Arctic circle to N. Africa, Siberia and W. Asia.
Habitat: Dry calcareous pastures, banks etc, to 600 metres[4].
Edibility: Leaves[5]. No more details are given.
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.