A native annual plant that has a clear blue color.
Once the cornflowers would grow abundantly in corn
and grainfields, hence its name.
But nowadays they only thrive as a roadsides flower.
The annual cornflower has disappeared from the grainfields,
and is often seen in gardens. The perrinial cornflower
has become more populair in gardens, especially in borders.
Flowering
Cornflower will flower for a long period, often
during the whole summer. It will be visited by a
lot of bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
propagation
Sow the seed early spring in sandy soil.
This will produces cornflower that flower during
the whole summer season. If you sow in late fall
the cornflower will flower at the end of the spring.
Cornflower as a cut flower
Cornflower are excellent long-lasting flowers,
having sturdy, long stems. The can also used as
good dry flowers.
Cornflower Tea,
The dried flowers of the Cornflower can
be used as an tea often mixed with Bergamot
leaves. Some prefer Cornflower tea to
drink with milk.
Cornflower in recipes
Cornflowers make an excellent garnish for salads,
or entrees, and also for drinks. Use other flowers
to make great looking salades.
The annual cornflower or Centaurea cyanus is bought
as seed. It will grow on pour but well drained soil.
There are very many cultivars , these are most populair:
Blue:
C. cyanus "Blue ball"
C. cyanus "Blue boy"
Red:
C. cyanus "Red boy"
C. cyanus "Red ball"
Pink:
C. cyanus "Lilac charm"
White:
C. cyanus "Silver queen"
C. cyanus "white ball"
C. cyanus "Florance white"
Black:
C cyanus "Black boy"
Cornflowerseed is often mixed with other seed from
native annual roadside flowers.
A classical picture of bumblebee with cornflower.
mountain cornflower
The perrinial mountain cornflower or Centaurea
montana is a look-alike of the annual Cornflower.
Originally it grows high in the mountains, but the
cultivars are adapted and are avaiable in many colors.
They are typically used in borders.
White:
C. montana "Alba",
Pink:
C. montana "Carnea"
light purple:
C. montana "Caerulea",
purple blue:
C. montana Grandiflora.
Large centaurie
The large centaurie or Centaurea scabiosa has
smal flowers and is a perrinial low border plant,
and has a dark pink color.
