Bachelor's Button

Scientific Name : Centaurea cyanus Family : Composite Common names : Bachelor's Button, Cornflower Flowering Period : June-July Colour : Blue, White, Pink, Purple, Red

A native to Europe, this annual plant is now found through out the world. The multi-stemmed plant grows up to 1-3 feet with grayish green foliage and yields many flowers through out the summer. The flowers commonly seen in blue are small about 1 to 1 1/2 inches across with petals flaring out. Leaves covered with small white hairs have a gray- green appearance. The blooms are excellent for dry flower arrangements as they retain their colour when dried.

Planting
The plants are propagated through seeds.  The seeds germinate better if they have been kept in refrigerator for few days before sowing. Seeds can be sown indoors in pots or outdoors in September- October or in March- April. The seeds take about one and a half weeks to germinate. Seedlings can be transplanted 12 inches apart in the garden in a mixture of soil and organic mix. The plant prefers full sun in various soil types for best results. These flowers usually self-sow and come back from year to year.