The two perennial SCABIOSA columbaria varieties I grow are one of the only flowers in my gardens I tend to overlook. At a mere 6-8" tall they are not big and imposing like many of the blossoms in my gardens.... nor are they flashy and eye catching like many others. In fact, it's only when I stop and study them up close (typically when weeding around them) that I really appreciate how intricately pretty they actually are.

Part of the 'Honeysuckle' family the name SCABIOSA comes from the Latin word 'scabies' meaning 'the itch' and flower heads were traditionally used as a folk medicine to treat the skin disease. Commonly called the 'Pincushion Flower' due to it's puffy white pincushion-like center w/ the 'pins' represented by very prominent little silver tipped stamens. Varieties differ in the color of frilly petals surrounding the 'pincushion'. I grow a lavender-blue variety and a white one as well.

The blossom in this image- 'Butterfly Blue' is a fully mature specimen as seen from the seed heads in the numerous little florets making up the white center. Taken early evening close to the end of the growing season in my gardens I was concentrating on showing the 'pincushion-like' shape of the white center in this photo.