(Centaurea cyanus ‘Dwarf Blue’)
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Dwarf Blue Cornflower is an annual flower native to Europe that grows in open fields and along railroads from coast to coast of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 1-3' and features grayish green, blade-like foliage, and long stems topped by a 1” circlet of tiny lavender blue flowers with a darker center. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, provides bird forage, tolerates drought and frost, makes dye, self-sows, and is used as a cut flower!
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species: cyanus
Variety: Dwarf Blue Cornflower
Also Known As: Bachelor's Button, Garden Cornflower, Bluebottle, Boutonniere Flower, and Hurtsickle.
Native to: Albania, Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., Greece, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia
Introduced into: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Buryatiya, California, Cape Provinces, Central European Rus, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Is., Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greenland, Hawaii, Honduras, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Jawa, Kamchatka, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Khabarovsk, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Louisiana, Magadan, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Southeast, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Morocco, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Sakhalin, Sardegna, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tennessee, Texas, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yakutskiya, Yukon
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Cornflowers can handle light frost. In mild areas, the best cornflowers result from seeds sown in fall to bloom the next spring. In colder winter areas, where ground freezes, plant in early spring.
Crops: Spring, Fall
Growing Season: Short, Long
Growing Conditions: Cool, Warm. Cornflowers will thrive as long as the soil drains well and they receive enough light. They don't like hot temperatures.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 60°F - 80°F.
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 55°F. Plant outdoors once soil reaches 55˚ F.
Start Indoors: No
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun min. 6 hours daily (Cool, Warm). Cornflowers grow best in full sun or very light shade.
Water: Low. Cornflowers are fairly drought tolerant but do benefit from the occasional watering, especially during periods or drought and hot weather.
Feeder: Light. Plants will remain more compact in less fertile soil but will grow in moderately rich soil as well.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost.
Small Gardens?: Yes.
Containers?: Yes. Choose a container at least 10" deep. Plants will need to be watered more often since containers dry out faster than garden beds.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Height: 12-18”
Spacing: 9-12”
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: grayish green, blade-like foliage and long stems topped by a 1” circlet of tiny lavender blue flowers with a darker center.
Genus: Centaurea
Species: cyanus
Variety: Dwarf Blue Cornflower
Also Known As: Bachelor's Button, Garden Cornflower, Bluebottle, Boutonniere Flower, and Hurtsickle.
Native to: Albania, Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., Greece, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia
Introduced into: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Buryatiya, California, Cape Provinces, Central European Rus, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Is., Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greenland, Hawaii, Honduras, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Jawa, Kamchatka, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Khabarovsk, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Louisiana, Magadan, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Southeast, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Morocco, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Sakhalin, Sardegna, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tennessee, Texas, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yakutskiya, Yukon
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Cornflowers can handle light frost. In mild areas, the best cornflowers result from seeds sown in fall to bloom the next spring. In colder winter areas, where ground freezes, plant in early spring.
Crops: Spring, Fall
Growing Season: Short, Long
Growing Conditions: Cool, Warm. Cornflowers will thrive as long as the soil drains well and they receive enough light. They don't like hot temperatures.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 60°F - 80°F.
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 55°F. Plant outdoors once soil reaches 55˚ F.
Start Indoors: No
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun min. 6 hours daily (Cool, Warm). Cornflowers grow best in full sun or very light shade.
Water: Low. Cornflowers are fairly drought tolerant but do benefit from the occasional watering, especially during periods or drought and hot weather.
Feeder: Light. Plants will remain more compact in less fertile soil but will grow in moderately rich soil as well.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost.
Small Gardens?: Yes.
Containers?: Yes. Choose a container at least 10" deep. Plants will need to be watered more often since containers dry out faster than garden beds.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Height: 12-18”
Spacing: 9-12”
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: grayish green, blade-like foliage and long stems topped by a 1” circlet of tiny lavender blue flowers with a darker center.
Direct sow in late fall or early spring, planting the seeds thinly and 1/4” deep. In the spring, keep the soil moist after sowing; germination should occur within 7-10 days. To start indoors, plant three or four seeds 1/4” below the surface in individual peat pots. Keep the soil lightly moist and at a temperature of 65-70 degrees F until germination; thin to the strongest seedlings. Transplant the seedlings before they reach a height of 5”, placing them 9-12” apart. This plant prefers rather sandy soil.
Water seedlings occasionally until they become established. Mature plants tolerate drought, but prefer adequate moisture and may need occasional watering. Prune off developing tips to force the plant to produce more branches and fuller growth, as well as more flowers. If the stems begin to fall over, provide support. Deadhead spent blossom for the most abundant flowers, keeping in mind that the latest blossoms will need be left in order to produce seed; though an annual, it will reseed easily to produce volunteer plants. This plant attracts butterflies and bees, in addition to providing nutritious seed for birds. Cornflower grows well in containers as well as in the garden.
Cornflowers make excellent cut flowers, and usually have a vase life of 4-5 days. When dried, the flowers retain their color and make a good addition to dried flower arrangements or potpourri. To dry the flowers, choose blossoms that have just begun blooming; pick them as soon as the dew has dried. Bundle the stems and hang them upside down in a well-ventilated, dark place for about 2 weeks.
After the flower fades, the tiny oblong seeds will form. As soon as the seed can easily be removed, it is mature. Remove the dried seed heads and rub them lightly to separate the seed from the husk. Store the seed in a cool, dry place.
Wheat, Oats and Crimson Clover. Cornflowers have an upright posture that helps them fit in tight spaces. Intersperse throughout the garden, as cornflower nectar is unusually sweet, and thus a preferred food source for many beneficial insects.
Suggested Varieties
(Trifolium incarnatum ‘Crimson’)
Crimson Clover is an annual flower native to Europe but grows across the U.S. in nearly every state. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 1-3' and features hairy rosette unbranched stems, 1/2-1” heart-shaped leaflets, and 1-2 1/2” cylindrical flower heads that bare ½ vibrant red florets. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is drought and frost tolerant, and provides forage to livestock!