“Knautia macedonia Mars Midget” has a fun name. And it is a very fun plant. If this flower shape looks familiar, you’ll be interested to know this plant is from the “Scabiosa” family. You’ve probably seen its more commonly found cousin “Butterfly Blue” Scabiosa at garden centers everywhere. However, I can’t keep a Butterfly Blue alive for more than two years, whereas I’ve had Mars Midget for 3 years already. This family of flowers, I’ve learned, can be short-lived in hot, humid climates. Which describes a Chicago summer perfectly.
In fact, I thought this plant had perished over the winter, but then it came back. Apparently, there’s also a chance it will self-seed, although I haven’t seen that happen yet. This is an adorable, true-red flower that comes in silly, airy profusion over a neat mound of grayish-green foliage all summer long. They truly do look a bit like flowers from another planet. They like full-sun and are drought-tolerant. I am hoping this one lives a long time. If it doesn’t, I will be tempted to buy a new one anyway, even though it violates my rule against fussy perennials. It’s just that cool of a plant.
Cait's Garden 
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