Annuals & Biennials

Centaurea
bachelor's button, cornflower

Height 1-3 ft (30-90 cm)
Planting distance 9-12 in (23-30 cm)
Flowers early summer to early fall
Any well-drained soil
Sunny site
Hardy annual

The cornflower is one of our oldest and best-loved hardy annuals, easy to grow and excellent for cutting. Its wiry stems carry sprays of blue, white, pink, purple, maroon, or deep red flowers and long, narrow silver-gray leaves. Grow cornflowers on their own in beds and borders or as part of a meadow garden mixture, perhaps grouped with poppies and corn cockles.

Popular species and cultivars
The following cultivars have been developed from Centaurea cyanus, which was originally native to Europe but is now a wildflower found in North America.
'Blue Diadem' bears large, double, dark blue flowers on 21/2 ft (75 cm) tall plants.
'Dwarf Blue Midget' has large blue double flowers and reaches 1 ft (30 cm) high.
'Frosty' has pink, blue, red, and maroon flowers, edged white, and white flowers flushed pink. It reaches 2 ft (60 cm) high.
'Jubilee Gem' has large, double, dark blue flowers and reaches 1 ft (30 cm) high.
'Polka Dot' produces a mixture of blue and red colors. It stands 15-18 in (38-45 cm) high.
'Tall Double Mixed' comes in shades of pink, red, maroon, blue, purple, and white and reaches 3 ft (90 cm) high.
Centaurea moschata (sweet sultan) is an Oriental species with large scented flowers and gray-green toothed leaves. It has spawned the following cultivars.
'Dairy Maid' has large golden yellow flowers with fringed petals and prominent centers. It grows to 2 ft (60 cm) high.
'The Bride,' pure white and exceptionally fragrant, reaches a height of 16-24 in (40-60 cm).

Annuals
and
Biennials