Cornflower (Bachelor’s-Button)
Centaurea cyanus. ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE).
Planting and Growing Cornflower
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow cornflower in the accompanying table’s tabs:
-
-
- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of cornflower
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for cornflower
- Season of bloom and planting time for cornflower
- When, how deep, and where to plant cornflower
- How to plant cornflower
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of cornflower
- Landscape and container uses of cornflower
- Comments about cornflower and its features
-
Growing Cornflower
Many cultivars of upright, slender annual herbs, to 2 ft. (60 cm) tall. Hairy, gray green, narrow, lance-shaped leaves, to 3 in. (75 mm) long, with gray undersides.
Common cultivars include Centaurea cyanus ‘Alba’, ‘Blue Diadem’, ‘Jubilee Gem’, and ‘Polka Dot’.
See also Knapweed, Centaurea cineraria, a closely related perennial species. Knapweed’s many ‘Dusty-Miller’ cultivars are prized for their silver foliage.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Many solitary, blue, burgundy, pink, red, white, pinwheel-like flowers, to 1–5/8–in. (42 mm) wide, with narrow petals, in early summer–autumn.
Best Climates
Self-seeding, zones 3–9. Light frost tolerant.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.5–7.0 pH. Poor soil tolerant.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in full sun, 8–12 in. (20–30 cm) apart, after frost hazard has passed. Avoid transplanting. Plant successions every 2 weeks to prolong bloom.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize monthly during growth. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Propagate by seed.
About This Plant
Good choice for beds, borders, edgings, massed plantings in cottage, formal, meadow, small-space, wildlife gardens. Attracts birds, butterflies. Pest and disease resistant.