Sweet scabious - Scabiosa atropurpurea

• Back to search results

Sweet scabious - Scabiosa atropurpurea
© Dr Chris Gibson/English Nature

There are around 100 species in the scabious family, sometimes known as 'pincushion flower'. The unusual flower colour of this species - 'sweet scabious' - attracts a wide range of insects including bees between July and September. As a southern European species, it is drought tolerant.

There are varieties available in a huge range of colours from blue, dark purple, cherry, salmon, pink, lavender and white.

Animals

Buff-tailed bumble bee, Honey bee, Red-tailed bumble bee, White-tailed bumble bee

Foliage	Green
Flower	Red, July to September
Moisture	(Wet)
Sunlight	(Full sun)
Origin	Non-native