Scabiosa stellata

Pincushion flower

Family: Dipsacaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Pincushion flower is a naturalized perennial found in southern coastal California in disturbed urban areas at elevations below 250 meters. Flowering details are not specified, but the plant produces white to blue flowers in wide, compact heads 20 to 50 millimeters across. Growing with stems less than 40 centimeters tall, this plant has a spreading, open growth habit. Its leaves are cauline, with margins that are deeply toothed or pinnately dissected, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The flower heads feature a distinctive funnel-shaped involucral limb with scarious, fan-like calyx bristles that give the plant its common name.

Habitat: Disturbed urban areas

Elevation: < 250 m

Bioregions: SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.