Description
Bachelor’s Buttons, cornflower, or Centaurea cyanus, are an easy-to-grow addition to your cottage garden or pollinator plot.
These members of the aster family offer striking 1-2 inch flower heads on a tall stem in a number of mauve and purple shades. They’re prolific bloomers, adding color to your garden from late spring into early fall. They’re also a big favorite of butterflies, who find them conveniently tall and easy to land upon.
Even though they’re a little goth, they love sunshine and require very little fertilizer or additional watering once established.
Benefits of Bachelor Buttons
- Tall but delicate flowering plant for cottage gardens
- Attractive to many bee species
- High sugar nectar makes it a vital food for butterflies
- Attracts predatory insects that protect brassicas
- Flowers are edible and used in tea and yogurt for color enhancement
- Excellent cut flower for arranging or drying
Tips for Growing Bachelor’s Buttons
Sow directly into a well-watered garden spot and cover very lightly with soil once soil temperature has reached 60°F. Keep moist until germination occurs.
In warm climates, such as zones 9-11, you can direct sow in fall for spring germination.
Otherwise, start 3 to 4 weeks before your last frost date. Provide a moist seed starting mix and surface sow seeds. Press gently into potting mix and cover lightly with soil or perlite.
Keep soil moist and transplant once first true leaves have developed. Germinates in 7 to 14 days.
Centaurea cyanus Details
- Life span: Annual
- Color scheme: “Black” (dark purple), white, and lilac
- Height: 30-38”
- Time to Germinate: 7-14 days.
- Time to maturity: 8-10 weeks
Terms of Sale
Sold by weight — you will receive a minimum of 200 mg of seed, about 40 to 45 seeds, shipped free from Florida via regular USPS First Class Mail to U.S. mailing addresses only.
Refund/Replace/Return Policy
Our policy is to replace or refund any missing or damaged packages, so please contact us directly if you have any problems with your order.
We want happy gardeners and strive to provide a stress-free seed purchase.
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