Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
Also listed as Centaurea segetalis, Cyanus segetum
Also known as Bluebottle, Bachelor's Button, Annual Cornflower
Climate Match for your location
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A cottage garden favorite with vibrant blue, pink, or purple flowers on slender stems, cornflower attracts pollinators and self-seeds readily. Easy to grow from seed and tolerant of poor soil, it blooms prolifically throughout summer.
Why grow it
Cornflower is more cold-hardy and drought-tolerant than many competing ornamental annuals once established, making it useful for low-input gardens and poor soils where other cut flowers struggle. Unlike many blue-flowering plants, it produces color reliably from direct seed in a single season without special stratification requirements. It offers sustained blooms across summer months with minimal deadheading needed, and the flowers retain quality longer in the vase than many pollinator-attracting alternatives.
Watch out for
Cornflower can produce volunteer seedlings in subsequent seasons if allowed to fully mature seed heads; this self-seeding is useful in some garden contexts but may require management in tightly planted beds. Dense plantings can develop powdery mildew in humid conditions, so adequate spacing and air circulation help maintain plant health. The stems may require staking in rich soil or when grown in partial shade, as fertility and low light encourage leggy growth.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A cottage garden favorite with vibrant blue, pink, or purple flowers on slender stems, cornflower attracts pollinators and self-seeds readily. Easy to grow from seed and tolerant of poor soil, it blooms prolifically throughout summer.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Cornflower grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Cornflower is more cold-hardy and drought-tolerant than many competing ornamental annuals once established, making it useful for low-input gardens and poor soils where other cut flowers struggle. Unlike many blue-flowering plants, it produces color reliably from direct seed in a single season without special stratification requirements. It offers sustained blooms across summer months with minimal deadheading needed, and the flowers retain quality longer in the vase than many pollinator-attracting alternatives.
Watch out for
Cornflower can produce volunteer seedlings in subsequent seasons if allowed to fully mature seed heads; this self-seeding is useful in some garden contexts but may require management in tightly planted beds. Dense plantings can develop powdery mildew in humid conditions, so adequate spacing and air circulation help maintain plant health. The stems may require staking in rich soil or when grown in partial shade, as fertility and low light encourage leggy growth.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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