Scabiosis perennial: description of the 20 best varieties, growing from seeds, planting and care

A perennial scabiosa has many advantages. In addition to beautiful multi-colored flowers, the plant will please with high resistance to low temperatures and drought. Knowing the rules of planting and caring for a flower, it will be possible to achieve lush and long flowering. All varieties and varieties differ in growth characteristics, flowering time, shape and color of inflorescences. It is permissible to plant both seeds and pre-prepared seedlings in open flower beds.

Description and features

Scabiosis perennial refers to herbaceous or shrubby plants. The people call the flower a vase, scrofula, a rough cornflower, a button:

• The stem of the flower is strong, erect or branched. It reaches a height of 1 meter.
• Leaves are oblong, in the form of feathers.
• Inflorescences are located at the very end of the stem, form dense bunches in the form of a ball or hemisphere.
• Scabiose's strong fragrance attracts pollinating insects.
• The fruit is an achene with a bell-shaped shell.

Separate parts of the plant have healing properties. Infusions and decoctions are used in the treatment of headaches or toothaches, skin rashes, and help to cope with a cold.

Views

There are more than a hundred species and varieties of scabiosa. Most of them are artificially bred.

Star-shaped

The flower does not grow more than 42 cm in height. The flowers are light blue or cornflower blue. Leaves are golden green. Flowering begins in mid-summer and continues until the end of September.

Pigeon

This type of flower loves moist soil, so it grows along the banks of streams. You can also meet them in the meadows. The stem has a slight branching, the leaves are oblong-rounded. The flowering period falls in mid-summer and lasts until mid-September.

Caucasian

This variety of scabiosa is distinguished by a wide palette of colors. There are inflorescences of lilac, red, lilac, snow-white hue. Flowering is long. Flowers in diameter grow up to 8 cm. They are often chosen to decorate the garden plot. The stem extends up to 76 cm.

Japanese

The stalk stretches up to one meter in height. The leaves are oblong with openwork edges. Inflorescences of a cornflower blue or purple hue.

Olga

The height of the branched shrub is not more than 54 cm. The leaves are silvery with pubescence. Blue flowers bloom in mid-July.

Dark Purple

The plant forms a bush up to 78 cm high. The flowers are double, purple, light pink or lilac. A persistent sweetish aroma emanates from the inflorescences.

Grass-leaved

Scabiosis of this variety is distinguished by a delicate white-blue tint of inflorescences. Bush grows up to 63 cm.

Pale yellow

This type of plant reaches a height of 110 cm. The stem is erect, the flowers are light yellow in diameter up to 3.5 cm. The buds begin to open in June.

Coronal

The coronal scabiosa bush is formed low, up to 55 cm. The flowers are painted white or blue-violet. Head diameter reaches 4 cm. Flowering begins in early August.

Giant

This variety of scabiosa is distinguished by the large size of the head of inflorescences. The color of the petals is pale blue or blue. Buds begin to open in early June.

Popular varieties

Each variety of scabiosa has its own characteristics.

Blue Note

The height of the Blue Note bush does not exceed 19 cm. The stems are straight, branched. Flowers are dark purple. Abundant flowering begins in July.

Pink Mist

The plant forms a bush up to 38 cm in height. Lavender or pink flowers up to 5.5 cm in diameter bloom in late July.

Blauer Atlas

The plant produces deep blue-violet flowers in late July.

Clive Greaves

Stem height 58 cm. Light lavender flowers. Their diameter in the inflorescence reaches 7.5 cm. Flowering begins in mid-summer. Stem leaves are carved.

Miss Willmott

The height of a thin, strong stem is 87 cm. Flowers are snow-white or cream.

Nachtf alter

The variety Night Moth is distinguished by bright blue or violet-blue flowers with a diameter of up to 6 cm.

Moerheim Blue

Herbaceous perennial plant stretches up to 58 cm in height. Stems erect, branched. Numerous purple-blue flowers up to 5 cm in diameter are formed on peduncles.

Blue Moon

Perennial plant forms pale blue inflorescences. Upright stem height up to 64 cm.

Rose Cackade

The plant is a dark purple variety. Inflorescences are formed pink. Flowering begins at the end of July.

Monarch Cockade

The scabiosa variety is distinguished by large terry inflorescences of various colors.

Fire King

The variety is distinguished by bright, large, fluffy red inflorescences with white small petals. The height of a straight strong stem reaches 92 cm.

Heart of Ice

This variety is characterized by abundant flowering. The stems are straight, branched, 86 cm high. The inflorescences are lush, white-blue or lavender, up to 6.5 cm in diameter.

Blauer Mond

The stem of a herbaceous plant stretches to a height of up to 58 cm. The inflorescences are dark blue.

Laherosa

The flower variety is distinguished by a compact bush 48 cm high. The inflorescences are maroon.

Fairy

Bushes grow small, only 24 cm. Dark blue flowers.

Schneebal

Stem height no more than 32 cm. Buds appear in July, snow-white inflorescences with a pleasant, sweetish aroma.

House of Isaac

The variety is distinguished by large inflorescences up to 9.5 cm in diameter, lilac-white. Flowering begins at the end of June.

Japanese romance

The flowers of this variety are distinguished by lilac-pink hues. The height of the weakly branched stem does not exceed 24 cm.

Butterfly Blue

The bush is compact (diameter up to 28 cm), low, up to 38 cm in height. The blue-lavender flowers are collected in dense capitate inflorescences. Buds begin to bloom from mid-July.

The Ritz Blue

The variety is characterized by a small height. The stem is straight and strong, stretches up to 22 cm. The flowers are small, purple-blue.

How to plant in open ground

There are no difficulties with planting scabiosa in most cases. Maintenance is minimal and does not require a large investment of time and effort.

Choosing a seat

For planting a flower, a flat area is suitable, which is well lit by the sun and protected from through winds.

Soil Requirements

Scabiosis does not take root well in heavy, clay soils. The land plot is best prepared in advance. In autumn, they dig it up and add organic matter.

Scabiosis feels good in fertile, loose soil with good aeration and low acidity. The ideal option is calcareous, loose soil. Too acidic soil causes the flower to wilt.

Before planting, the earth again needs to be dug up and nutrients added. Liming is desirable.

Sowing dates

The sowing of seeds in the open area starts in the second half of April.

Plant pattern

Shallow holes are made in the selected area with an interval of 37 cm. Between the rows, the interval is approximately 42 cm. After sowing the seeds, the soil is moistened and covered with a small layer of compost.

Growing through seedlings

If the climate is cold, then choose the cultivation through seedlings. Sowing in specially prepared soil begins in March.

Preparation of planting material

Subject to all storage rules, the seeds retain their germination capacity for 3-4 years:

• Carry out the stratification procedure. Seeds are hardened in a humid environment. Immerse them in sand and leave them in the cold for about one month.
• Selection should be done before planting. To do this, use a saline solution in which the seeds are immersed. After 15 minutes, bad specimens unsuitable for sowing should float to the surface. They need to be thrown away.
• Then the seeds are washed and laid out on a paper towel.
• As soon as the planting material dries, it should be immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate in order to disinfect the surface.
• Many gardeners soak seeds in fungicides to protect the plant from fungal and bacterial infections. Suitable drugs such as Fitosporin or Baktofit.

How to plant

Seeds can be sown in large boxes or individual pots. Small indentations are made in the soil, the seeds are distributed and sprinkled with a layer of sand on top. Then again comes a layer of soil. Plantings are watered, covered with a film and cleaned for a week in a bright, warm place.

Ventilation

Every day for two hours, the film must be removed from the container. This will allow air to enter the soil and prevent rotting. Be sure to ensure that condensation does not appear, as it causes mold on the soil.After the appearance of more shoots, the film is removed.

Dive

As soon as the first pair of true leaves appear on the sprouts, the plant dives into a separate container. If a common box is used, then keep a distance of at least 6 cm between the sprouts.

A week before transplanting to an open area, seedlings begin to harden off. A container with seedlings is taken out daily to the street. Time spent outdoors is gradually increased.

Landing in open ground

In the last days of May, seedlings are transplanted into open flower beds. The soil on the site must first be dug up and fertilized. Holes are made 16 mm deep at a distance of 32 cm and seedlings are planted. The first time at night it is better to cover the landing with a film.

Reproduction

Reproduction of scabiosa is carried out by sowing seeds, dividing rhizomes and seedlings.

Seed

The method is suitable for propagation of both annual and perennial flower varieties. 3 peduncles are left on the outlet until the seeds are fully ripe. Seeds are collected in autumn and stored in cloth, cotton bags.

To sow seeds start in the spring, following the recommended planting pattern. The first sprouts should appear after two weeks, and after 2.5 months the plant will begin to bloom.

Division of rhizomes

Some varieties of the flower reproduce by dividing the rhizome. As soon as warm weather sets in in the spring, the rhizomes are dug up, cleaned from the ground and divided into separate parts. Be careful not to damage the root branches.

Care

The scabiosa flower is unpretentious, therefore it requires minimal care. It is important to water the flower bed in time, add nutrients, prevent the growth of weeds and carry out preventive spraying.

Irrigation and fertilization

Rules to consider when watering perennial scabiosa:

• Set regular moderate watering.
• As soon as the topsoil becomes dry, it is necessary to start moistening. Once every 7 days is enough. In dry times, the frequency of watering is increased to twice every 7 days.
• Water for irrigation is taken warm and settled.
• The procedure is best done in the morning.

The plant needs to be fed 3-4 times during the season. Before the appearance of buds, it is recommended to apply complex mineral fertilizer. During active flowering, compositions based on phosphorus and potassium will be useful. Fertilizer helps to increase the number of buds and rich flowers.

Loosening and weeding

After watering, the soil should be loosened. This will allow air and nutrients to freely penetrate the roots of the plant.

Weeds must not be allowed to grow. They cause the spread of diseases and pests. In addition, weeds create shade and small buds form.

Cutting

Until the very end of flowering from the bushes, flower buds that have faded should be periodically cut off. Thanks to the procedure, flowering will be lush and long. Bud cutting is also necessary to prevent self-seeding.

Preparing for winter

With the onset of cold weather, a perennial plant should be covered with spruce branches, fallen leaves, peat or straw. In regions with a warm climate, scabiosa does not need shelter.

Collection and storage of seeds

Ripe seeds of inflorescences are easily carried by the wind, so a gauze bag is put on the peduncle. Ripe seeds are burgundy in color. The collected seeds must be thoroughly dried and placed in a cloth bag or cardboard box.Store in a dry, cool place. Under such conditions, the seeds will not lose their germination for 4 years.

Diseases and pests

Scabiosis has good immunity to many diseases and is rarely attacked by insect pests. But in rainy summer conditions, problems may arise.

Powdery mildew

The first sign of a fungal disease is a whitish coating on the outside of the leaf plate. The leaves gradually fade, turn yellow and fall off. The disease provokes excessive soil moisture, improper fertilization, sudden changes in air temperature, the presence of weeds and dense planting of flowers:

• In the fight against powdery mildew, such chemicals as Fundazol, Previkur, Topaz help.
• Compositions prepared according to folk recipes are considered effective. They can be based on components such as mustard, wood ash, soda, soap, garlic decoction.

Root rot

In the affected plant, the stem begins to thin and darken in the root zone. After infection, the spores move to the roots of the flower. Brown spots appear on the leaves. Gradually, the leaves begin to turn yellow, wither and dry. Soon the whole flower dies. The reason for the spread of the disease is excessive soil moisture, poor-quality planting material, improper planting care:

• The fight against root rot is effectively carried out by such drugs as Fitolavin, Topaz, Maxim, blue vitriol, Gamair.
• From folk recipes, compositions based on wood ash, iodine, potassium permanganate, whey are effective.

Mothed Moth Larvae

Mothed moth lays eggs on plants, from which caterpillars then emerge. They have a thin, naked body that is greenish or brownish in color. The front pairs of legs of the caterpillar are not developed.

Insects are leaf-eating insects. As a result of their activity, the plant weakens, resistance to cold and infections decreases.

The following methods will help in the fight against the pest:

• treatment with chemicals: Akarin, Fitoverm, Karbofos, Bitoxibacillin;
• application of folk recipes: decoctions of tomato leaves, burdock, hot pepper.

Vole mice

Vole mice can harm plants. The length of their body is approximately 11 cm, the length of the tail is 4 cm. The fur is gray. Rodents eat flower stems.

Pest control methods:

• setting traps, traps;
• use of chemical, poisonous drugs;

Landscape use

Scabiosis will decorate alpine slides and any other flower beds. Looks beautiful along paths and curbs.

As used in floristry

Scabiose is used to create unusual bouquets for any festive event. Cut inflorescences do not lose their fresh appearance and aroma for 6 days. Scabiosa goes well with other colors.

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