Giant Scabious

Cephalaria gigantea, the Giant Scabious, is a magnificent biennial or short-lived perennial that brings impressive scale and grace to UK borders. Forming a large basal rosette in its first year, it then sends up towering, slender, branched stems, reaching an imposing 2-2.5 metres tall. From mid-summer to early autumn, these stems are topped with numerous pale yellow, pincushion-like flower heads, which sway elegantly in the breeze. It creates a striking vertical accent and provides a wonderfully airy, ethereal feel to the garden. Fully hardy (H7) and relatively drought-tolerant, it thrives in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. Attracts a wide range of pollinators.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, fertile.

Hardiness: H7 — below −20°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug, Sep.