Botanical Name: Centaurea cyanus
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Common Name: Cornflower, Bachelor's Button  
Plant photo of: Centaurea cyanus
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Water Saving Tip:

Fix leaking sprinklers, valves, and pipes.

One broken spray sprinkler can waste 10 gallons per minute - or 100 gallons in a typical 10 minute watering cycle.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Annual

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Pink, Violet, White

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Seascape

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Raised Planter, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Filler, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: City of Durham Parks
  • Description

  • Notes

This charming garden annual blooms May to July with violet blue, pink, or white flowers. Plants grow from 1 to 3 feet tall, and about half as wide, and have green foliage. They are a lovely cut flower, though removing the spent blooms will limit its reseeding nature and deprive birds of much-enjoyed seeds.
Grow in well drained soil. Prefers a sandy or clay-loam mix, but can established in practically any soil that isn't too wet. Prefers full sun to a bit of shade - too much shade will cause the plant to flop. Butterflies enjoy the flowers; birds enjoy the seeds. An annual, it can reseed - a good or bad thing, depending on your gardening style.