Lomelosia stellata - seeds

Lomelosia stellata or Scabiosa stellata is an annual plant native to Southern Europe and enjoys the sun. It forms a low tuft of dark green, highly dissected leaves. In late spring, it produces long, slender stems, each carrying a small inflorescence in the shape of a dome, in pale blue or pale mauve. These fairly insignificant flowers then evolve into seeds that form a very sculptural, decorative sphere. They are used in dried bouquets to decorate the house. This species is easy to sow and appreciates limestone soils and warm, sunny climates.

Scabious plants are herbaceous, perennial or annual, belonging to the genera Scabiosa, Lomelosia, and Knautia, easily recognisable by their inflorescences in compact cymes, forming a flattened or slightly domed terminal head. Formerly classified in the Dipsacaceae family, they are now classified in the Caprifoliaceae family, like Honeysuckle, Weigela, or Abelia.
Lomelosia stellata is native to Spain and Portugal, Sardinia, and North Africa. It prefers well-drained, rather dry, limestone soils, and grows along paths or in uncultivated plots. It forms a low, 20 to 40 cm tall plant with variable foliage. The basal leaves form a rosette and are toothed or even incised, while those that develop higher up on the stems are pinnatisect, meaning they are cut to the base, thus forming separate leaflets. The few stems can be slightly branched, and the vegetation is dark green. From May or June until July or August, depending on the climate, small solitary flowers appear, carried by long, slender flower stalks that rise above the leaf tuft. The flowers are inflorescences, made up of very small flowers grouped in heads 2 to 3 cm in diameter. These hemispherical inflorescences are generally light blue to pale mauve. They are small and few, pretty but rather insignificant. The seed heads that form from the flowers after they have faded have real ornamental value. They are almost spherical with a perfect geometric structure, whose design could inspire many modern artists. These diaphanous beauties, with a somewhat indefinable colour, in shades of pale grey-pink, punctuated by a fine central star with five branches, press against each other to form an extremely decorative ball, perfect for making dried bouquets. This annual can thus extend its short life in our interiors during the winter...

The Starry Scabious is a charming botanical species with small light inflorescences. It needs a sunny exposure and preferably limestone soil, above all, well-drained, even dry, to develop well. Sow with seeds of Double Salmon Strawflower, which will give you beautiful flowers with a diameter of 5 cm, in an original salmon pink, and which are also suitable for use in dried bouquets. The Moody Blues Damask Nigella will also be a good companion, with flowers that bloom in a range of blues, from pale to intense, to enrich your dried flower compositions. You can also enhance your choice with annuals like Licilia Peach Moroccan Toadflax, which from June to September will delight you with its multicoloured flowering, combining yellow, orange, and brick red.