Centaurea cyanus
cornflower
Piercing, bright blue flowers with ruffled petals and violet-blue centres appear from early to late summer among lance-shaped, mid-green leaves. Once a common sight in cornfields, this lovely annual is perfect for naturalising in a sunny wildflower meadow and is a magnet for butterflies and bees. The flower petals are edible and have a clove-like taste.
How to care for Centaurea cyanus:
Wild flowers prefer poor soils, so do not apply fertiliser. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. In autumn, cut the faded flowerheads down to the ground and compost the dead stems.
Sowing instructions:
Surface-sow seeds in trays filled with good quality compost, water and place in a cold frame or greenhouse. Pot on when they have put on their first true leaves and harden off before planting out after the frosts have passed. Alternatively sow direct in late spring or early summer and thin out to 30cm as they grow.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
0.7m
Eventual spread:
0.3m
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
approx 200 seeds
£2.49
Seed Packets (only)£2.95
Named Day Delivery£10.95
