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.

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.