Scabiosa, 'Sternkugel'


(Scabiosa stellata) AKA Paper Moons, Star Flowers. The flower of this Scabiosa species is a subtle beauty, a loose-ish affair of soft dusty blue outer petals with a cream flecked with pink ‘pincushion’ center. Then things take a turn for the wondrous. When the flowers yield to seedheads, the meaning of its name, German for ‘star-ball’, becomes abundantly clear. The seedheads appear as perfect papery spheres floating on long wiry stems, with the dimpled centers of each seed in the head revealing a perfect 5 pointed star. Indeed it is the seed head that this variety is best known for, and it is fantastic for adding a sculptural element of intrigue to arrangements. We love a single stem in a tiny vase or a dozen as a stand-alone bouquet. They are sure to draw appreciative comments. Essentially dry when harvested, they’ll last for months in a waterless vase.
95 days. UO

Packet: 40 seeds

Seeds are mysterious. For reasons not yet clear to us, we have consistently struggled to produce seed for this variety with germination rates higher than the mid 60's%. This years crop came in at 63%. We love the variety and rather than not selling it we have raised the packet size from 25 seeds to 40 to compensate for the low germination. Sow accordingly!

Product Code SCA-SK-pkt

Availability: In stock

Pkt
$4.75
100 seeds
Out of stock
$10.00
500 seeds
Out of stock
$22.00
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Growing Info

SOWING:

Sow indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost.

Transplant out after last frost.

Direct sow after last frost.

Note: Germination can be tricky. Patience!

PLANTING DEPTH:

Cover seeds very lightly

SPACING:

8-12"

EMERGENCE:

10-12 days @ soil temp 65-70F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Average-high. Tolerant to most soil types but prefers well-drained  and evenly moist soil.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Loved by pollinators!

Fresh flowers are lovely but the seed pods are what you're really after!

Cut when flowers are in bud stage or just opening and expect a vase life of a week. OR wait until the ornamental seed pods have developed (they should be light green and not shattering). Those will last indefinitely.