Plant record

Scabiosa

Scabiosa atropurpurea

Scabiosa brings a softer rhythm to the bed. It is delicate looking, but not helpless.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusScabiosaCaprifoliaceae
Species anchorScabiosa atropurpureaThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score92/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Start indoors 5 to 8 weeks before last frost.

Direct sow in cool soil where summers are not too hard.

Transplant in the cool shoulder season.

Succession rhythm: about every 28 days.

Space-saving method: grow with stake support.

Plant intelligence

Use one square where cutting, airflow, and light support are easy.

cut flowerpollinatorbeneficial insect

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: branching cool-to-mild-season cut flower

Height: 18-36 inches

Spread: 10-16 inches

Germination: 10-14 days

Sow depth: 0.125 inches

Bloom: spring, summer, fall

Attracts: bees, butterflies, hoverflies

Record score

92/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Scabiosa atropurpurea in Caprifoliaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness921 per square with stake support.
Timing and care depth1003 planting windows, 50F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down882 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90high pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificScabiosa atropurpureaFamilyCaprifoliaceaeLookup namesScabiosa, Scabiosa atropurpurea, pincushion flower

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit1 per square
92Use one square where cutting, airflow, and light support are easy. Support: stake.
Season behaviorsemi-hardy
100Indoor start. Direct sow. Transplant. Repeat about every 28 days.
Care loadmoderate water
74Slows in heavy heat. Tall cutting types appreciate light support. Soil minimum 50F.
Bed ecosystem rolecut flower, pollinator
90high pollinator value; white, pink, lavender, burgundy.
Variety depth2 options
88Choose by stem length and color; dark cultivars are dramatic but can disappear in shade.

Species and variety notes

Choose by stem length and color; dark cultivars are dramatic but can disappear in shade.

Black Knightcultivar
78small-bed fit

A strong accent flower if the bed has lighter neighbors.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: uses more visual space than compact utility types.

dark bloom, cut flower, dramatic90-110 days24-36 inches tall
Fata Morganacultivar
78small-bed fit

A calmer scabiosa for mixed bouquets and softer garden color.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: match timing and spacing to the rest of the bed.

soft cream, cut flower, gentle color90-110 days24-36 inches tall

Companions

snapdragon, lettuce, calendula, bachelor-button

Cautions

Slows in heavy heat.

Tall cutting types appreciate light support.

External enrichment

Cached name: Scabiosa atropurpurea. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

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