Growing HiGro Mix Scabiosa Garden Seeds
- Taxonomy: Scabiosa caucasia
- Seed Type: Perennial
- Sow Indoors or Outdoors: For early blooming, start indoors 8 – 10 weeks before final frost date. Seeds will germinate in 14 – 21 days. Once germinated, move to fluorescent grow light until two sets of true leaves have developed. Transplant HiGro Mix seedlings to indoor container or pot and “harden off” if transplanting outside. Scabiosa seeds can also be sown directly once the frost has passed, but blooming will occur late into the season.
- Days to Maturity: 91 – 105 days
- Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9
- Planting Depth: Lightly cover 3 – 4 seeds in soil
- Plant Spacing: 12 – 18"
- Growth Habit: 18 – 24” tall bushy upright with 12 – 18” spread stemmed in 3” blooms
- Soil Preference: Light, loamy, well-drained
- Light Preference: Full sun
- Diseases/Pests/Troubleshooting:: Scabiosa must have well-drained soil because plants can be susceptible to mold and stem rot. Avoid overhead watering by watering soil directly to minimize wetting foliage. HiGro Mix will benefit from partial shade during severe summers. No serious pests or diseases, but monitor regularly for aphids and whiteflies.
- Color: Mix of lavender, purple, periwinkle, blush, and ivory
For early blooming, start HiGro Mix scabiosa seeds indoors 8 – 10 weeks before final frost date. Scabiosa seeds will germinate in 14 – 21 days. Once germinated, move to fluorescent grow light until two sets of true leaves have developed. Transplant HiGro Mix scabiosa seedlings to indoor container or pot and “harden off” if transplanting outside. Scabiosa seeds can also be sown directly once the frost has passed, but blooming will occur late into the season. For direct sowing, lightly cover 3 – 4 HiGro Mix scabiosa seeds in soil with 12 – 18” apart in light, loamy, and well-drained soil in full sun. Scabiosa must have well-drained soil because plants can be susceptible to mold and stem rot. Avoid overhead watering by watering soil directly to minimize wetting foliage. Plants will benefit from partial shade during severe summers. Scabiosa has no serious pests or diseases, but monitor regularly for aphids and whiteflies. HiGro Mix scabiosa seeds will mature in 91 – 105 days as 18 – 24” tall bushy uprights with 12 – 18” spreads stemmed in 3” lavender, purple, periwinkle, blush, and ivory blooms.
Scabiosa caucasia is native to the Caucasus mountains that run east to west between the Black and Caspian seas of Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. It is also commonly known as Pincushion Flower or Caucasian scabious and is a famously nectar-rich variety attractive to many butterflies, bees, and other important insects and pollinators.