Starflower Scabious 'Drumsticks' (Scabiosa stellata) seeds
- Exceptional Starflower Scabious with decorative, spherical seed heads in silvery and bronze tones - ideal for dried bouquets and natural floristry.
- 30 open-pollinated seeds of Starflower Scabious 'Drumsticks' (Scabiosa stellata).
- Annual summer flower for sunny locations, with long stems and distinctive star-shaped seed heads for fresh and dried arrangements.
€2.59
No longer available
Description
Star-shaped seed heads for extraordinary bouquets
Starflower Scabious 'Drumsticks' (Scabiosa stellata) is an unusual summer flower whose real charm becomes visible only after flowering. The small, pale blue to whitish-blue flowers develop into spherical seed heads around 2.5 to 4 cm across with a striking star-shaped structure. Greenish at first and later silvery to bronze-coloured, these unusual seed capsules look almost like small ornamental spheres on long, wiry stems.
Growing to around 60 to 70 cm tall, 'Drumsticks' is ideal for cut-flower gardens, cottage gardens and naturalistic beds. The long-lasting seed heads are especially valued in fresh bouquets, dried arrangements, wreaths and floristry. Their papery texture and natural bronze and silver tones combine beautifully with grasses, strawflowers, poppy seed heads or other dried flowers.
A distinctive scabious from the Mediterranean region
Scabiosa stellata originates from the western Mediterranean region and North Africa. The species name stellata means “star-shaped” and aptly describes the characteristic structure of its seed heads. While many other scabious are cultivated mainly for their colourful flowers, Starflower Scabious is especially valued for its unusual seed heads.
This distinctive feature has made the species popular for natural and dried floristry. Before the seed heads develop, the small flowers still provide food for various pollinators. For decorative seed heads, the faded flowers should therefore not be removed, allowing the spherical seed capsules to develop fully.
Sowing and care
Sowing and care of Starflower Scabious 'Drumsticks'
Pre-cultivation can take place indoors or in a greenhouse from February to April. Place the seeds on moist, loose seed compost, press them down lightly and cover them only very thinly with soil. Starflower Scabious needs light to germinate and should therefore not be sown deeply. At around 15 to 21 °C, germination usually takes place within about 7 to 20 days. During this time, keep the substrate evenly moist but not wet.
As soon as the young plants are strong enough and have developed several true leaves, they can be pricked out and grown on in a bright position. After the last stronger frosts, they can be planted outdoors from around mid-May at a spacing of about 25 to 30 cm. Alternatively, direct sowing in the final position is possible in spring. Here too, press the seeds down only lightly or cover them with no more than a few millimetres of soil.
'Drumsticks' prefers a sunny position with loose, humus-rich and well-drained soil. Waterlogging should be avoided. Once established, the plant also copes well with temporary dry periods. In very windy locations, light support can be useful because of the long, slender stems.
For dried bouquets, the seed heads are best harvested once they are fully formed and silvery to bronze-coloured, but before they become completely brown and dry. At this stage they retain their shape particularly well. Bundle the stems afterwards and hang them upside down to dry in a dry, dark and well-ventilated place.
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