A black and orange butterfly rests on a light purple Scabious Imperial Mix flower by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, surrounded by blooming pink, purple, and yellow cottage garden flowers under a partly cloudy sky.
A black and orange butterfly rests on a light purple Scabious Imperial Mix flower by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, surrounded by blooming pink, purple, and yellow cottage garden flowers under a partly cloudy sky.A hand holds a small bouquet of Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Scabious Imperial Mix—pollinator-friendly pink, purple, and burgundy flowers—outdoors in a sunny garden, with blurred green blooms in the background.Close-up of Scabious Imperial Mix by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, showcasing pale purple, pollinator-friendly wildflowers with delicate petals in a lush meadow of green grass and wild plants beneath a partly cloudy sky.A close-up of Scabious Imperial Mix by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden shows clusters of pink, purple, and white flowers with green foliage under a blue sky—ideal for adding pollinator-friendly beauty to your landscape.A garden glows at sunset, filled with tall pink and purple Scabious Imperial Mix flowers from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, blooming brightly by a wooden fence under a soft, hazy sky.A yellow circle features a black and white bee at its center, surrounded by “RHS PLANTS FOR POLLINATORS.” Scabious Imperial Mix by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden is a pollinator-friendly seed, perfect for cottage garden flowers.Close-up of a wildflower meadow featuring Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden’s Scabious Imperial Mix, with pollinator-friendly blooms under a partly cloudy sky as sunlight highlights the vibrant flowers and green grasses below.A bumblebee gathers nectar from a Scabious Imperial Mix bloom by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden, surrounded by purple flowers and green foliage beneath a cloudy sky.Close-up of pollinator-friendly Scabious Imperial Mix by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden—pale cream blooms with colorful flowers and green foliage, set against a white greenhouse and partly cloudy sky, classic for cottage gardens.
Annual Pollinator

Scabious Imperial Mix

Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Imperial Mix'

£2.20approx. 50 seeds

Honey-scented pincushion flowers in deep blackcurrant, crimson, lavender, salmon pink and white on tall wiry stems — the jewel-toned cottage Scabious for cutting and butterflies.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
90cm
Spread
30cm
Spacing
30cm
Position
Full sun is essential for best flowering. They can tolerate light or partial shade, but may not bloom as vigorously.
Soil
Prefers light, moderately fertile soil, such as loam, sandy, or chalky.
Grow guide
How to grow Scabious Imperial Mix
Read the full guide →
About this variety

The colourful counterpart to 'Black Knight'. The same domed pincushions on the same wiry 90cm stems, but in the full jewel range: deep blackcurrant, crimson, soft lavender, salmon pink and white, all flowering together from midsummer to the first frosts.

It is one of the hardest-working plants in a cutting patch. Cut-and-come-again in the truest sense, honey-scented on a warm day, and covered in butterflies, which use the flat dome as a landing platform. A short row will keep a household in flowers for four months.

Then the seed heads. Stop deadheading in late August and the central cushion elongates into an architectural globe that ripens through autumn and dries well for a winter arrangement. Before August, keep cutting, because a plant left to seed early stops flowering. Two conditions matter: full sun, and neutral to alkaline ground with real drainage, since scabious sulk and rot on heavy wet clay. And get the support in at 20 or 30cm, because 90cm stems in an August storm go flat and cannot be rescued afterwards.

Plant alongside

Scabious Imperial Mix pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics

Scabious Black Knight
Scabious Black Knight
£2.40
Ammi majus
Ammi majus
£2.20
Daucus Carota (Wild Carrot)
Daucus Carota (Wild Carrot)
£2.30

RHS Plants for Pollinators

This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →