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Annual Flower
Also known as Sweet Scabiosa, Mourning Bride
Scabiosa atropurpurea
Dipsacaceae Family
Synonym: Scabiosa x urbicum
This popular annual gets its common name of from its long, gray stamens that protrude like "pins" from the dense "cushion" of the flower. Flowers come in shades of red, white, yellow, pink, blue and purple.
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Site Characteristics
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Sunlight:
Soil conditions:
- requires well-drained soil
Performs best in slightly alkaline soils.
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Plant Traits
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Lifecycle:
annual
Ease-of-care:
easy
Height:
2 to 3 feet
Spread:
0.5 to 1 feet
Bloom time:
- early summer
- mid-summer
- late summer
- early fall
- mid-fall
Flower color:
- red
- yellow
- blue
- violet
- white
- pink
Foliage color:
Foliage texture:
medium
The leaves can be deeply lobed, slightly lobed, or entire.
Shape:
cushion, mound or clump
Shape in flower:
flower stalks with upright spikes
Flowers borne on stems up to 2’ long above the cushion of foliage.
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Special Considerations
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Special characteristics:
- non-aggressive
- non-invasive
- not native to North America
- Native to the Mediterranean.
- fragrant
- Flowers are fragrant.
Attracts:
- beneficial insects
- Bees.
- hummingbirds
Special uses:
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Growing Information
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How to plant:
Propagate by
seed
- Sow indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost, or outdoors after frost danger has passed.
Germination temperature: 70 F to 75 F
Days to emergence: 10 to 14
Maintenance and care:
May require staking. Deadhead to prolong bloom.
More growing information: How to Grow Annuals
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Varieties
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'Ace of Spades': highly fragrant, double flowers are very dark brown, almost black. The plants grow to 3’ tall.'Blue Cockade': light blue or purplish flowers up to 2" in diameter. 'Dwarf Double Mix': double flowers in shades of red, purple, white an pink on 1 ½’ tall plants. 'Double Mix': 3’ tall plants with flowers in shades of red, white, pink, purple and blue. 'Salmon Queen': deep, orange-pink flowers are double. Plants grow to 3’ tall.
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