Re: Scabiosa atropurpurea?

WHTROS@aol.com wrote:
The seller says they are hardy where he lives in Zone 8 and may be annuals
farther north.  They are a beautiful double flower -- yummy.  If you would
like to take a look, just click on the following:


Because this is a pet peeve of mine I'm going to get technical here for a moment and point out that a perennial is always a perennial and an annual is always an annual.  These botanical terms refer to the lifespan of the plant, NOT cold hardiness.  Perennials don't become annuals just because they're killed by cold.

That said, Hortus Third, the RHS Index, and Armitage all say that S. atropurpurea is an annual species, so that renders the winter-hardiness question moot.  It may self-sow readily; has become naturalized in southern California and other warm areas.  Because the same type of plant reappears in the same location year after year, some people often confuse self-sown annuals for perennials.

Barb, depending on where you live, this is a pretty commonly found plant.  I hope you're not paying too much for it!

Dean Sliger
Warren, MI, USA
Zone 6B
 
 
 

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