Blue Cockade Sweet Scabious is a stunning heirloom flower that brings layers of delicate blue petals and a romantic cottage garden aesthetic to beds and borders. This cultivar of Scabiosa atropurpurea grows 30 to 36 inches tall and reaches full bloom in 112 days from seed, flowering reliably from summer through fall across hardiness zones 2 through 11. The blooms attract pollinators and resist deer browsing, while the plant's moderate water needs and full-sun preference make it straightforward to grow. Whether you're cutting flowers for arrangements or creating a nectar-rich garden, Blue Cockade delivers the delicate charm and extended bloom window that made scabious a fixture in Victorian gardens.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
36in H x 18in W
—
High
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The blue, pincushion-like flower heads are exceptionally long-blooming, persisting from June well into November in most climates. This heirloom variety handles drought once established and thrives in poor soils where many ornamentals struggle, making it both rewarding and low-maintenance. Deer won't browse it, and butterflies and other pollinators seek it out, giving gardeners a flower that works as hard at attracting wildlife as it does at looking beautiful.
Blue Cockade Sweet Scabious is grown primarily as a cut flower and ornamental for cottage gardens, borders, and pollinator beds. The long stems and extended vase life make the blooms excellent for fresh flower arrangements, while the plant's deer resistance and ability to thrive in challenging soil positions it well as a low-input perennial or annual for wildlife gardens.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors in pots 4 to 5 weeks before your last spring frost. Surface sow and barely cover seeds (about 1/16 inch deep) with vermiculite or a sprinkling of soil. Cover pots with a humidity dome or plastic wrap and keep at 65 to 70°F. Seeds typically sprout in 5 to 15 days. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off when soil has warmed.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date, spacing them 18 inches apart. Ensure soil has been amended with 2 to 4 inches of compost. Water gently after planting and maintain moderate soil moisture until plants are established.
Direct sow seeds 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Surface sow and barely cover with soil or vermiculite. Thin seedlings to 18 inches apart once they develop true leaves.
Cut flowers for arrangements when the pincushion blooms are fully open but still have a fresh, crisp appearance. Cut stems early in the morning for longest vase life. Flowers can be harvested throughout the bloom season from June through November.
Deadhead spent flowers regularly throughout the growing season to encourage continuous blooming and extend the flower production into fall. Cut flower stems just above a leaf node or where new buds are visible.
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