Scabiosa africana Seeds - Indigenous South African Perennial Seeds For Sale - Worldwide Shipping

Scabiosa africana Seeds

Cape Scabious, Pincushion; Koringblom

Seeing Scabiosa africana on the mountain, the first thought is that it must have escaped from a garden nearby. With its big mauve flowers and soft leaves, it looks just too tender and perfect to survive in the wild. But looks are misleading, for this beautiful perennial is perfectly happy in the fynbos, growing along the sheltered sandstone slopes of the Cape Peninsula. Scabiosa africana grows fast, forming evergreen mounds of velvety leaves. Many thick stems shoot from the ground, bearing large rosettes of light green leaves. These big, soft and hairy leaves are oval shaped, about 160 mm long and 50 mm wide, with ruffled edges. From the leaves, the stems grow almost 1 m longer, dividing into side branches with the typical scabious flowers at the tips. Flowering from spring to early summer, the plants are a beautiful sight with the many tall flowering stems waving in the wind. Looking at the flowers closely, one realizes that each head, which is about 50 mm across, is made up of many smaller flowers that vary in shades of mauve and white. After flowering, the heads turn into tight, bristly balls that fall apart as the seeds ripen. The dried flower stalks are often used in dried flower arrangements. Grow these this season!