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