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Pincushion Flower

Scabiosa atropurpurea

Other Common Names

Scabiosa, Mourningbride

Plant Category

Annual, Biennial

Invasive Description

Pincushion Flower is native to Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. It is a rosette-forming annual or biennial with opposite, pinnately dissected, simple leaves. It produces large, round flowers that are generally lavender, pink or whitish. It prefers prairies and propagates by animal-dispersed seeds.

Ecological Threat

Pincushion Flower is a fast-growing plant that can overwhelm native prairie plants and create a monoculture. It is difficult to control once it becomes established in an area.

It is widely available in nurseries.

How to Eradicate

For information on how to eradicate this invasive, view our statement on herbicide use and preferred alternatives for invasive plants.

Native Alternatives

You can replace this invasive plant with native alternatives. Here are some plants that make superior replacements.

Match your location on the Texas map to the color squares on the replacement plants below to find suitable replacements for your ecoregion.

Click for more details about the ecoregions