Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa atropurpurea
A long-blooming annual bearing velvet-like flowers throughout summer in mixed shades of purple, blue, white, and red. Also known as Scabiosa because of its skin-healing properties and Mourning Bride after its connection with widows in 18th Century Britain.
When Thomas Jefferson requested roots and bulbs of the "Mourning bride" from his friend and neighbor, Isaac Coles, in 1811, he may have been referring to the Pincushion Flower. Also known as Scabiosa because of its skin-healing medicinal qualities, and Mourning bride because of its association with grieving widows in eighteenth-century England, Pincushion Flower was sold by Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon in 1804.
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
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Between April and October, all house tours come with a free guided Garden Tour, or you can explore the grounds on your own with the Bloomberg Connects App
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Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection
Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
