Painting: bee on scabiosa

acrylic on panel, 3.5 x 5"

Have you ever noticed how a lot of pretty flowers have names that sound like diseases? This is one that always seems to me to be unfortunately named-- 'scabiosa'-- though it's sometimes also referred to as Pincushion Flower. (The blossom in this painting is a not fully opened bud.)

The flowers come in shades of lavender, blu-ish, pink-ish, cream, and even burgundy, though the one I most commonly see by far is the lavender.

Super hardy, this plant blooms away from February or so through frost here in Northern California. (I do deadhead it to keep it going.) Mine also sends out little 'plantlets' around the edges, in a widening clump and I move these around the yard, so it's always gaining more ground. I believe it reseeds fairly freely too.

And yes, bees are always visiting the flowers.

bee on scabiosa in our garden