Caucasian pincushion flower
Scabiosa caucasica · Dipsacaceae
Caucasian pincushion flower (Scabiosa caucasica) is catalogued by the USDA PLANTS database. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -23°F.
At a glance
| Mature height | 2.5 ft USDA |
|---|---|
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | slow USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Nursery availability | No Known Source USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 2.5 ft, making it about knee height. It grows slowly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are blue.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is gray-green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 50 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 130 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 8 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and bare root. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Cottet willow Salix ×cottetii
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol SCCA21, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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