A Conversation for Mystery Flower of the Week
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Started conversation Jul 5, 2020
Here's a link for Monarda:
http://www.gardenia.net/plant-variety/monarda-bee-balm
Okay, so the colors are different (Monarda has flowers of bright red to darker red, but the link shows at least one that matches the light purple of your mystery flower quite well.
I can't see enough of your foliage to get a match, but perhaps you could look at the leaves in the link, and compare them to what you have in Austria?"Blue Moon" looks like a particularly good match, blossomwise.
This doesn't mean that Monarda (or bee balm) couldn't have been planted in Austria. Lots of things gro outside their native range. 
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
minorvogonpoet Posted Jul 5, 2020
To me, it looks like a Scabious - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/scabious
and these are supposed to have been in Europe since the 19th century.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 6, 2020
Good point!
I've grown scabiosa plants -- otherwise known as pincushions.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor Posted Jul 6, 2020
I think mvp is right! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knautia_arvensis
That looks like it.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 6, 2020
I don't know why I didn't guess that.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking. Posted Jul 8, 2020
My best guess is that it is Scabiosa columbaria
https://planther.nl/scabiosa-columbaria/
The colours match as well
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor Posted Jul 8, 2020
I would have guessed it's field scabious. 
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 8, 2020
They're supposed to be hardy. Also, they don't like acid soil. I don't know where in New England they would find non-acid soil, though.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor Posted Jul 9, 2020
Why should they grow in New England? 
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 10, 2020
No particular reason, it's just that some of our garden centers carry them in stock. Someone in new England might want to grow them/ 
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor Posted Jul 10, 2020
Aaaah! I wouldn't have guessed that garden centers have them.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 10, 2020
Back in the days when I had some, a garden center is where I picked them up. It all started when I was reading somewhere that this time of year there are hardly any blue flowers in bloom. Scabiosa was one of the exceptions.
Not that blue flowers are absolutely necessary, but someone thought this was a good idea, and I went along with it.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor Posted Jul 10, 2020
Aww, sorry to hear it didn't work out. 
We have mostly limestone here, we're basically living at the rim of an ancient ocean. Lots of rocks have fossilized sea shells.
It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant Posted Jul 10, 2020
To be honest, I prefer Monarda (or Bee Balm), which has sort of similar blossoms, and range of colors that includes a good facsimile of Scabiosa. The ones in my yard are a brilliant scarlet, and I love them dearly, as do (you might guess) he bees.
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It looks a little like Monarda, though not a lot
- 1: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 5, 2020)
- 2: minorvogonpoet (Jul 5, 2020)
- 3: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 6, 2020)
- 4: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor (Jul 6, 2020)
- 5: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 6, 2020)
- 6: Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking. (Jul 8, 2020)
- 7: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor (Jul 8, 2020)
- 8: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 8, 2020)
- 9: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor (Jul 9, 2020)
- 10: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 10, 2020)
- 11: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor (Jul 10, 2020)
- 12: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 10, 2020)
- 13: Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor (Jul 10, 2020)
- 14: paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant (Jul 10, 2020)
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