Scabiosa columbaria is a small, short lived perennial herb of up to one metre that grows in a clump. It is much branched with annual branches developing from a persistent fleshy woody root stock. The thin-textured, slightly hairy leaves form a rosette on the ground and are variable in shape, with characteristically lobed margins. Basal leaves have serrated margins, while those higher up on the stems have deeply lobed margins. Flowers are borne on several multi-branched stalks of up to one metre high. The attractive white flower heads have a distinctive daisy-like shape.