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Cephalaria gigantea

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Characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Columnar/Upright

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

Pale Yellow in Summer

Foliage

Green in Autumn, Spring and Summer

Size

Ultimate height

1.5-2.5 metres

Ultimate spread

0.5-1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2-5 years

Preferred common name

giant scabious

Family

Caprifoliaceae

Cephalaria are annuals or perennials with pinnately divided leaves and scabious-like flower-heads

C. gigantea is a perennial forming a clump of pinnately lobed basal leaves, with tall, branched stems carrying light yellow flower-heads to 6cm across in summer

Other common names

yellow scabious

Synonym(s)

Cephalaria caucasica
Cephalaria tatarica hort.
Scabiosa gigantea
Scabiosa tatarica

Suppliers

Suppliers listed in RHS Plant Finder

How to grow

Sunlight

Full sun
Part shade

Aspect

South-facing, East-facing, West-facing or North-facing

Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Grow in a fertile moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Needs staking in exposed gardens.

Soil

Moist but well-drained

Acid, Alkaline or Neutral

Loam, Chalk, Sand or Clay

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in early spring or propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Flower borders and beds, Cut Flowers or Wildlife Gardens

How to care

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Generally disease free

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