PlantFiles: Cornflower, Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus

I planted these for the first time last summer. They took a long time to sprout but when they did I had blooms from early summer into the fall. They were in full sun and thick, clay soil that does not drain especially well. This year I have planted them in a different spot where the soil is more sandy. They sprouted quickly so I am anxious to see if they bloom as long as they did last year.

I sowed 2 batches of these. The first died within 1 hour of getting sunlight through a window.

So the second set got ever so gradual light. Every time they got any non-filtered light, they flopped over and looked dead. Keeping them watered didn't fix this. They are over a month old and still can't handle a sunny day outside but will come back to life slowly once brought inside.

2 of the 7 I had in the planter wilted and died gradually and inexplicably, while the others seem fine. The bottom of the stem of those two are darker. For annuals, these have been way too much trouble and I don't even know if the rest will survive long enough to bloom.

I love cornflowers, but when planted some from seed (on two different years now) I get lots of really tall green plants, but no flowers! What am I doing wrong? Please help.
Thanks

Centaurea cyanus is also known as garden cornflower. It is native to Europe which has naturalized throughout North America. It can be found growing in all US states including Hawaii. In Texas, it grows in the wild in 11 counties. Seeds should be sown at a depth of 1/8 inch. Cornflower blooms retain their bright colors when dried and make great additions to dried flower arrangements.

Of all the different kinds of mixed seeds, this plant will grow the most frequently from those mixed seeds. And that's in hot, humid summer with plenty of rain in sandy soil! Only Sweet William were second to this in mixed seeds - too bad I don't have any Bachelor's Button left - limited sun those days and lots of perennials.

I grew these this year by starting seeds in peat pots then transplanting. All the plants survived the transplant shock well. Some are nearly 4 ft tall now with very little care/watering. I've very happy with their performance.

I have not had trouble transplanting cornflower either. Those who wintersow will know they transplant beautifully (and early!) using the "hunk o seedlings" method.

This plant grows wild all over the place here. It is one of those "weeds" that doesn't seem to bother any one or anything. Mostly blue, but occasionally very light pink, white, or dark purple. I thought it was native when I was growing up because I saw it all over. However, you won't likely find it outside of human disdurbance of the ground. You won't see it much in the forest or sagebrush flats, but somehow it looks perfectly at home with sagebrush and the blue of its flowers goes so well with the sage. I never really thought about "growing" this because it was already "growing", but now I can see potential for making it grow in places where it might make more of an impact, color-wise. I'd really never thought of it that way before. It just grew where it grew.

looks great in a wild flower annual mix...

Cornflower is most noted for its true blue flowers. Though now other cultivars (black pink and white) have popped up. The black is a deep burgundy color. My favorite is still the blue. Cornflower foliage is also decorative. It is silvery and slightly fuzzy. My cornflowers often get taller than noted in many books etc. Mine this year are about 4 feet! :) One of the easiest annuals to grow. :)

Love this plant. I do not understand why some have trouble moving them. I used to scavenge 1-2 foot plants from a guy's compost pile, a day or two after they were yanked out of his garden. Eventually, I got him to call me when he was pulling them. All but the most shrivelled survived and thrived. I was just beginning to garden. It is a good thing I didn't know any better, because I love blue flowers.

My sister in law gave me a gallon ziplock of seed packs,
cornflowers were among the variety.My wife told me they were easy so.... I was impressed with both the foliage and the delicate blooms.
The rabbits really like them. After mowing them down twice,I was forced to "cage" them.
After re-emerging twice the little plants that could made a really happy gardener of me.
I had volunteers this year,naturally out of the bed, I had saved a few seeds and they have taken off really well this year and I expect similar results
good luck to all
rnh15

Self sows and comes back for years.

This plant is easily grown and multiplies simply by plucking the dry heads of the flowers off the plant and crumbling them on the ground beneath it (or wherever you want them to grow.) They are excellant for dry lasting flower arrangements and hold their colours well under those circumstances.

On the downside, in order to maintain a nice looking plant they require deadheading on a regular basis, and as they age and get larger they will sometimes begin to look dry near the lower 6 inches or so of the plant.

Bachelor's button does not like to be transplanted, so it is important to sow seeds in the place where you want your plants to grow.

Old-fashioned bachelor's button or cornflowers are easy-to-grow and fill the garden with brilliant blue flowers and shimmery silver leaves. Blooms will appear from summer to early fall; successive sowings can extend bloom period.

Thrives in full sun except in scorching summer heat and will tolerate part-shade. Plant in well-drained soil. Once established, will tolerate drought conditions.