greater knapweed
Centaurea scabiosa
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones4 to 8
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Greater knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) is a perennial for pollinator gardens and low maintenance beds. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and average to moist soil of most types. It is not a favorite of deer, though hungry deer will eat almost anything. It blooms in early to late summer and again in early to late autumn. Butterflies, bees, and birds visit the flowers.
Pairs well with Gladiator ornamental onion, Tall fescue, and Jacob’s ladder.
Native range
Europe, Central Asia, Altay, Irkutsk, and 7 more places. See all 11
Europe, Central Asia, Altay, Irkutsk, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Krym, NW. Balkan Pen., Tuva, Xinjiang, and Yakutiya.