Scientific Name: Centaurea cyanus
Common Name: cornflower
Family Name: Asteraceae
Origin: Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Zone: Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Plant Type: Annual (true), Invasive plant
Mature Size: 0.7 - 1.3m x 0.3 - 0.6m (height x width)
Habit: Spreading, Upright
Form: Oval - horizontal
Texture: Medium
Landscape Uses: Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Cut flower or foliage, Perennial border
Exposure: Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil or Media: Well-drained
Leaves: Simple, Alternate, Soft flexible, Pinnate venation, Pubescent, Elliptic, Lanceolate, Ovate, Entire, Pinnately lobed
Flowers: Head (capitulum), White, Blue, Purple, Pink, May-Jun
Fruit: Achene, Brown, Oct-Nov
Key ID Features:
Leaves sheathing, lanceolate, 10-15cm long x 2-4cm wide, entire or less commonly lobed; flower heads 3-4cm wide, commonly blue with purpish centres, whorls of bracts below with black margins, May-Jun.