Question
Thanks Kenneth,

I'm in zone 5B.  I actually planted some in porcelain pots in the house and I'll plant the remainders outdoors.  I'll be sure to water.  I wanted to ask, is a plant light harmful to scabiosa?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi Kenneth,

I ordered a bunch of bulbs from Michigan bulb and nothing came with instructions.  I ordered 6 butterfly blue scabiosa and 6 pink scabiosa the pincushion flower.  The flowers came in small planting sectional containers (the plastic green ones you get from nurseries). They came in fall and I wondered if I could just buy a plant light and keep them indoors until spring planting them in individual plastic pots?  Please advise.  Thank you
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Scabiosa (pincushion flower) is actually a perennial (which means it comes back from year to year). Fall is best time to establish perennials, so if you plant it outdoors now and water regularly until established, it should do well in future. The first summer after planting is always "ho-hum" but following years should be better.

You do not mention where you are located, but scabiosa does well in zones 5-9 which is most of the continental USA except the very northern range of the northern states and the very southern range of the southern states (including south Florida, and southern California). However, scabiosa should do well in most other areas of the country if planted in fall.

Remember, to water regularly until the plant is established.

Answer
Scabiosa should do well in your area. Most perennials do best outdoors so if you are not happy with your result indoors in pots, try to transplant them outdoors next year.

Scabiosa require high light and will not grow well indoors even with artificial grow lights. It is not that artificial grow lights are bad for the plants, but these plants usually require a lot more intense light than what can be provided by most grow lights.

Unless you have a high intensity grow light (500 w MH light 1 foot above the plants) or flourescent grow lights placed just inches above the canopy of the plants, the light available to the plant indoors is typically not enough to sustain the plants.

You can give it a try. If you get poor flowering, long lanky stems (big spaces between the leaves on the stems) and/or off colored leaves, then it may need more light.

Good luck

-- Kenneth