How do you recognise Small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)?

Leaf

Gérard Leveslin, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

Small scabious

Scabiosa columbaria L.

Also known as: Dove scabious

Family: Caprifoliaceae

30 to 60 cm tall

Dry, chalky meadows

Flowering: June – September

Full sun

Very hardy, to -20°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

The florets around the edge of the flower head are distinctly larger than those in the centre, giving a lace-like effect. Small scabious has a more domed flower head and stem leaves deeply cut into strips, whereas field scabious has a flatter flower head and stem leaves that are less finely divided.

🍃 Leaves

Basal leaves undivided, stem leaves deeply cut into strips

🌸 Flowers

Domed mauve-blue flower head, larger outer florets

🍎 Fruits

Small achenes crowned with a collar of bristles

🪵 Bark

Slender, erect herbaceous stem

🗺️ Distribution

Europe, western Asia, North Africa; common in dry chalk grassland in France.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Mauve-blue flower heads very rich in nectar, among the most attractive to butterflies, bees and bumblebees.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Perennial borders, flowery meadows, edgings; long, very nectar-rich summer flowering.

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No known toxicity.

⚠️ Look-alike species

Small scabious

Scabiosa columbaria

Field scabious

Knautia arvensis

Small scabious has a more domed flower head and stem leaves deeply cut into strips, whereas field scabious has a flatter flower head and stem leaves that are less finely divided.

🌿 Other Caprifoliaceae to discover

Southern bush honeysuckle

Diervilla sessilifolia

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.