Cornflower
Cornflower: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Cornflower, Centaurea cyanus, is an annual member of the daisy family, known for its intensely blue flower heads. The genus includes a much wider range of plants: some species are perennial, but that is not the life cycle of the cornflower described here. Mountain cornflower, Centaurea montana, is a different species. Cornflower is also distinct from blueberry plants, which are shrubs grown for their edible berries.The plant develops upright, branching stems with narrow, elongated leaves that are sometimes slightly lobed. Its green foliage may have a somewhat greyish appearance. This light outline leaves the flower heads clearly visible above the leaves. Cultivars vary in height and habit: some remain compact, while others have longer stems and a more airy appearance. Cornflower consequently introduces a fine texture among flowers with larger, heavier outlines, rather than forming the same shape as every other ornamental annual.Each head contains many small flowers. The enlarged,…
