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FLIMBY: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower

But one variety is on the 'watch' list for potential invasiveness

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Kathy Morrison PUBLISHED AUG 18, 2026

Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Snow Maiden' is considered a hardy annual or short-lived perennial. Not a native plant, it reseeds freely, which gardeners need to be aware of. Kathy Morrison

This is another installment in our Flowers in My Back Yard series, devoted to blooming plants.

The bees adore the white flowers of the scabiosa growing at the front of my community garden plot. The double blooms are gently curved, growing on 2- to 3-foot stems, making them the perfect landing spots for pollinators of all sizes.

I also enjoy the flowers, which add some airy softness to a raised bed that's a mix of flowers and vegetables. A small green tomato cage helps keep the long stems upright.

Most Scabiosa atropurpurea, aka pincushion flowers, are more compact, with a lavender-periwinkle the classic color of the blooms. Other varieties are pink, burgundy or nearly black.

But this lovely plant does come with a down side: It can spread. It readily self-sows, meaning it has the potential to take over a garden or even naturalize into the wild. The seeds are spread by animals, not by the wind or other means.

The California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) plant database has placed S. atropurpurea on its "Watch" list, meaning it has been evaluated and is considered at high risk of becoming invasive in the future in California. It has been spotted growing wild along trails on the coastal side of the Bay Area.

As its website states, Cal_IPC's Inventory "categorizes non-native invasive plants that threaten the state’s wildlands. Categorization is based on an assessment of the ecological impacts of each plant. The Inventory represents the best available knowledge of invasive plant experts in the state."

This, then, presents a dilemma for a gardener. Should the plant be torn out now? Probably not. Scabiosa plants are not long-lived, and the bees are enjoying it in late summer, when not much else is blooming readily.

Should the gardener remove any seedlings that appear? Absolutely. (They do pull out easily.) And deadheading the plant should be a priority.

Should nurseries be selling these plants and their seeds? That's harder to answer. The Plant Right campaign is working with nurseries to stop selling plants considered dangerously invasive. So far, of the 19 plants on the original Plant Right target list, only seven are still commonly found in nurseries, including water hyacinth and highway iceplant.

When it comes to scabiosa, the better answer is that gardeners need to be aware of what they're buying and planting.

Scabiosa is a lovely, easy-care plant for a pollinator flower garden, and has other varieties that are not considered potentially invasive. Check out, for example, S. caucasica 'Perfecta Alba' or S. columbaria or S. stellata 'Ping Pong.' That last one is also called starflower, with intriguing round seed heads.

And if you do find you've planted S. atropurpurea, be cautious. Don't share the seedlings, and try to keep its enthusiastic seed production under control. (Also, don't compost the seed heads.) Then replace it over the winter with a better plant that will make the bees just as happy.

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FLIMBY Flowers in My Back Yard flowers perennials annuals garden color summer August invasive plants Sacramento gardening

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Flowers in My Back Yard Series

Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact

Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower

July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show

July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)

July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy

July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies

June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden

June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners

June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)

June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself

June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude

May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?

May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs

May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power

May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens

May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend

April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look

April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower

April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact

April 7: Calendulas do double duty

April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come

March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)

March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots

March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums

March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come

March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy

Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?

Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come

Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers

Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses

Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?

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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16

During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.

* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.

* Plant potatoes.

* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.

* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.

* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.

* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.

* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.

* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.

* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.

* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.

* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.

* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.

* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.

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