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Perennial Plant of the Year 2000: Scabiosa columbaria "Butterfly Blue" |
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' has been selected as the 2000 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. The PPA is an international professional association incorporated in 1984 and includes growers, retailers, educators, garden writers, and members of landscape related industries. They strive to provide information of benefit to the public regarding the use and care of perennials.
Selected for its reliability and long bloom period, Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' is a great perennial to use for massing in the border, in the border front, or for attracting butterflies to the garden. It is practically insect and disease resistant.
The pincushion flower, as it is commonly known, derives its name from the stamens which resemble pins stuck in a pincushion. The nearly flat gray-green basal foliage forms a mounded rosette six to eight inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. Lacy lavender-blue, two-inch flowers bloom on slender 12-to 15-inch stems from late spring through early fall. When consistently deadheaded, 'Butterfly Blue' will flower repeatedly throughout the growing season and is desirable as a long-lasting cut flower.
Hardiness: Grows reliably in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9
Light: Full sun to light shade
Soil: Well-drained, consistently moist soil
Uses: Use massed in the front of the border with annuals or perennials. Combine this excellent three-season plant with spring, summer, and fall flowering perennials. This perennial is good for containers and cutting gardens.
Planting Information: Container grown plants may be planted at any time during the growing season. Space 12-18 inches apart. Water well until plants are established.
Information and photographs courtesy of The Perennial Plant Association
