Scientific Name:
Centaurea montana
Pronunciation:
sen-tore-EE-uh mon-TAY-nuh
Common Name:
bachelor's buttons
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Invasive plant
Key ID Features:
Leaves sheathing, lanceolate, 10-15cm long x 2-4cm wide, entire or less commonly lobed; flower heads 5-7cm wide, blue with reddish blue centres, whorls of bracts below with black margins, May-Jun.
Habit:
Arching, Spreading, Upright
Form:
Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Bedding plant, Perennial border, Rock garden
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include C. 'Mountain Bluet' and C. 'Amethyst in Snow'. Compare to C. cyanus.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Entire, Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum)
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
White, Blue, Purple
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May, Jun, Jul
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Runners (or stolons)
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
Blight or needle cast, Mildew, Mold (Pest resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
