Hello Scabious

I bought a yellow flowered Scabious a week or so ago. The pink, blue and white varieties I've grown in the last have preferred moist conditions. The plant label on this one says it likes dry conditions Any advice please?

 

My own impression is that they need good drainage, and prefer rather poor soil. Go to the South Downs and you will see wild ones growing in profusion on the chalk, but whenever I've tried them here they've hated my carefully-improved London clay!

 

Interesting, @luciusmaximus. Only "Yellow Scabious" I'm aware of grows in similar conditions to the others you've grown and will happily even grow in clay soil if it's well-drained.

Cephalaria gigantea | giant scabious/RHS Gardening

So I'm thinking you may have this one since you mentioned dry conditions?

Scabiosa columbaria subsp. ochroleuca | pale yellow scabious/RHS Gardening

I've never had much luck with scabious but this related plant performed magnificently for me last Summer, bees love it! I just planted that one in MPC with a little grit. I suspect your new scabious will be fine in a similar soil.

Knautia macedonica 'Mars Midget' | Claire Austin

Nick

 

I'm not sure if there is a variety mentioned on the label, I will look tomorrow. Labels on the hardware store plants can often be a bit vague or even non existent . I do have a wild scabious in the front garden and that looks after itself mostly. Also have a knautia something or other in back garden border, think its purple. Can't remember it's proper name and lost label.