PlantFiles: Pincushion Flower, Star Flower, Sweet Scabious, Scabious Drumstick, Moonflower
Scabiosa stellata

I have a sort or leaning toward pale yellow flowers so its not surprise that I was pleasently surprised by this one. The color is pale yellow to deep ivory.... (similar to other yellow scabiosa types.... scabiosa ochureola and cephalaria gigantea) somewhere in between the color of moonbeam coreopsis and old faded antique ivory lace. Very pretty. The flowers aren't huge. About the size of other annual scabiosas if not slightly smaller. The foliage is "thistle like" and green. The "main" attraction to some of this plant is the seedpods which follow the flowers. Often used in dried arrangements ....by florists etc. Easy to grow. Grow as you would other scabiosa (annual). Some say this is cool weather and fails in heat but mine has (through 90 degree weather) stood up just fine. It is a nice cottage garden plant. Short overall about 12 (mine) inches at most. Nice scattered andunderplanted around other things. I recommend it for its pretty little flowers and decorative pods. The pretty pale yellow color matches with almost (flower) anything.

This plant is grown more for the seed head than the flower. They can be used in dried flower arrangements. It's an unusual plant and always gets comments. Let the seed heads dry on plants before harvesting.

This plant is at least as interesting (if not more so) when the flowers fade and the seed head emerges. It looks like a bronze-colored pingpong ball. Unusual shape for dried flower arrangements.