Where & How to Grow Field Scabious Knautia Arvensis

Sep 21, 2017

Field Scabious can have up to 50 purple flowers which make up the pin cushion flower heads. It is a large, attractive plant which will look its best in a sunny meadow garden with grasses as a backdrop. Field scabious has a very long flowering period and is a valuable nectar source for bees and butterflies. Each plant can produce up to 50 flowers. The blooms are the largest of our scabious species. It’s found throughout the UK, mainly growing on chalky and neutral grassland. It is also found in hedgerows and along roadsides. Field scabious has a rough and hairy stem, similar in texture to scabious skin.

Where and how to grow Field Scabious

Flowering season:	July to September
Height:	25cm to 1 metre
Where to plant	Prefers sunny conditions, with well drained and fertile soil
Cultivation:	A perennial that can grow from seed but is sometimes difficult to germinate. Sow the seed into seed trays in spring or autumn and lightly cover with soil. Plant out into meadow grass the following spring or autumn. The other (easier) option is to plant it as plugs in the autumn or spring, offering better chances of success. Clear the space of a small dinner plate around each plug.