Scabiosa columbaria

Perennial of the Caprifoliaceae family (formerly Dipsacaceae), the small scabious is widely spread in Europe, from the British Isles to Central Asia, frequenting dry calcareous grasslands, embankments, and sunny rockeries, from the plains up to about 2,000 meters in the alpine and Pyrenean massifs.

It forms a loose clump with slender and branched stems, reaching 30 to 50 cm in bloom. The basal leaves are oval to slightly lobed, the cauline ones more finely pinnatisect.

The flower heads display lilac to light violet flowers, with the peripheral flowers distinctly radiating and enlarged. The center of the flower head consists of buds of a deeper violet, almost purplish before anthesis, giving the flower a distinctive bicolored appearance clearly visible on individuals at the beginning of flowering.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to September. In cultivation, it can start as early as June.

It thrives in well-drained soil, preferably calcareous, poor to moderately fertile, in full sun, and dreads stagnant moisture in winter. It readily attracts butterflies and bees.