The common name 'scabious' comes from the herb's traditional usage as a folk medicine to treat scabies, a mite infestation which causes terrible itching.

Its common name, Pincushion Flower, comes from the fact that after blooming, the flower's calyces together with the bracts form a spiky ball which is persistent and remains as a crown.

Other spooky black cat flowers include the Black Cat Flower (Tacca chantrieri) and the Black Cat Petunia!

Scabious flowers are nectar rich and attractive to many insects including butterflies and moths such as the Six-Spot Burnet. Scabiosa species are also food plants for the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera such as the Grey Pug Moth.