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PRONUNCIATION | GNAW-tee-uh mass-ih-DAWN-ih-kuh |
| COMMON NAME | Crimson Scabious, Crimson Pincushion |
| SYNONYMS | Scabiosa rumelica |
| DERIVATION | macedonica = from Macedonia, Macedonian |
| NAMED AFTER | a 17th. Century Saxon botanist, Dr. Christopher Knaut (1638-1694) |
| FAMILY | Dipsicaceae - Teasel |
| TYPE | upright, sometimes sprawling, bushy perennial; may perform like a biennial |
| USES | excellent cut flower, for dried arrangements, good filler plant in borders, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies |
| FLOWER | tiny, double, almost globular, in domed clusters on long stems, followed by attractive green seed-heads |
| COLOUR | bright crimson red, sometimes called wine-red; may be flecked with white |
| FOLIAGE | deeply divided; two distinct kinds of leaves, those higher on the clump being more deeply divided than those at the bottom |
| STEMS | lax, branching, 30-45" stems |
| COLOUR | soft green |
| HARDINESS | Zone 5 |
| EXPOSURE | full sun |
| SOIL | average, well-drained |
| WATER | medium moisture with occasional deep waterings; fairly drought-tolerant once established |
| HEIGHT | 30" |
| SPREAD | 24" |
| BLOOM | June until frost |
| STAKING | yes, unless you prefer the sprawling charm of this plant |
| DEADHEAD | yes, to encourage continuous rebloom until frost |
| PROBLEMS | none serious |
| AFTERCARE | for best flowering, remove spent flowers and fertilize regularly |
| FALL CARE | cut to ground level |
| PROPAGATION | basal cuttings in spring; seed in autumn or spring;
seed apparently germinates best after cold treatment, then with fluctuating temperatures - see below for more details |
| SEED CULTURE | METHOD 1
sow indoors in containers in spring, 10-12 weeks prior to last spring frost;
cover lightly with vermiculite and moisten;
germination will occur after 10 days;
keep seedlings as cool as possible and provide shade from extremes of direct sunlight;
plants will bloom the first year from seed
METHOD 2
after sowing seed, place container inside a plastic baggie, with a 68-70ºF temperature for a week,
then set container in refrigerator for 30 days,
finally move container to a location at 68-70ºF where germination should begin in 10-30 days
METHOD 3
set container in a sheltered location outdoors in late winter to early spring,
check for germination as weather warms |
| FERTILIZER | apply a slow-release fertilizer in early summer |
| MULCH | |
| FORMS | Knautia is a genus of about 60 species of summer-flowering annuals and perennials;
Knautia arvensis has bluish-lilac flowers |
| COMPANION PLANTS |
COMPANIONS PLANTS |
DAYLILIES