Cornflower When to Plant (Centaurea cyanus) Bachelor’s Button
The Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), often known as Bachelor’s button, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, easy-to-grow. Cornflowers, which are native to Europe, are commonly planted as garden plants in North America and have been naturalized as an invasive species in certain locations outside of their original range. In this article let’s review when is the best time of year to grow cornflowers, how to propagate cornflowers from seeds. Cornflower When to Plant (Centaurea cyanus) Bachelor’s button, also known as Blue Boy. Is Centaurea cyanus Edible?
Do you know the cornflower plant? It produces small but incredibly beautiful, deep blue flowers that attract a lot of attention. It doesn’t grow much; in fact, you can keep it in a pot and enjoy it all season long, or in the garden creating a spectacular floral carpet.
Cornflower Names
Cornflower Names. It is popularly known by countless common names, and the most commonly used are cornflower, sky flower, blue carnations, Bachelor’s button, Blue-poppy, Blue boy, etc. It was also John F. Kennedy’s favorite flower, and his son used it at his wedding as a nice tribute to his father. Bachelor’s button scientific name is Centaurea cyanus.
Cornflower upkeep and cultivation are simple, but we prefer to simplify things for you to have a good time while learning new things about plants, in this instance, the cornflower, so don’t miss out on this deal.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), also known as Bachelor’s button, is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant, that is, it lives one or two years maximum, probably native to Europe. Today it has adapted so well to live in different conditions that it has naturalized on all continents.
Centaurea cyanus
How Tall Do Bachelor Buttons Get
How tall do bachelor buttons grow? The cornflower is characterized by growing up to a maximum height of 1 meter, formed by erect and branched stems covered with hairs.
The leaves, which are also cottony, are linear and longitudinally veined and measure 12 to 16 mm. The flowers, which sprout in spring and summer, are composed of bracts (false petals) of green color, and the florets (what we would call petals) of blue or, more rarely, white. The Bachelor Buttons seeds are very small, barely 0.8 inches (2 cm), and brown.
Cornflowers are a relatively easy-to-reproduce plant because of their natural origins. Let’s discuss the appropriate circumstances for germination of these seeds, such as suitable temperature and environment, in response to our readers’ inquiry regarding when is the best time of year to grow cornflower.
Centaurea cyanus – When to Plant Cornflower in Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Canada, etc.
Cornflower When to Plant in Australia and New Zealand?
September, October, and November are the most appropriate months to plant cornflowers in Australia and New Zealand. It will be easy to propagate cornflower from seeds between September and November in New Zealand and Australia during spring due to suitable weather, humidity, and temperature conditions.
When to Plant Cornflower In US, Canada, UK, European Countries?
In the northern hemisphere, the most appropriate time to plant cornflowers and propagate cornflower from seeds is during March, April, and May, coinciding with spring in the northern hemisphere.
In northern hemisphere regions with colder climates, due to their proximity to the North Pole and/or their altitude above sea level, such as more mountainous regions in Canada and the United States, the most appropriate months will be in early summer, between May and June.
Cornflower When to Plant Cornflower and When to Propagate Cornflower from Seeds
When to Plant Cornflower and When to Propagate Cornflower from Seed. The right time to propagate bachelor’s button from seeds is generally in spring. Although in regions and countries with cooler springs, growing cornflower from seeds can be started indoors, and once the cornflower seeds are germinated, propagated outdoors during the summer. We must be careful if we have them in gardens, as each plant produces hundreds of seeds that can germinate and become invasive, harming other plants that are nearby (Order seeds here).
- GORGEOUS - Who doesn't love a bright, happy flower bed of cornflower seeds flowers?
- ANNUAL - This is a beautiful annual plant with a colorful mix of blue, purple, pink and white flowers.
- ATTRACT POLLINATORS - Bring pollinators into your fruit, vegetable and flower garden with these bachelor buttons seeds.
What Kind of Environment Is Best for Cornflower Blooms?
What Kind of Environment Is Best for Cornflower Blooms? Cornflower flowers prefer a moderate to warm environment since it is the most flattering for them. Temperatures should be between 68-97 F (20 and 36 Celsius); this is the period of the year when they will thrive. Cornflower cannot withstand winter drought and grows little and withers rapidly in high heat. Late spring through early summer the cornflowers will bloom.
Cornflower Care – Bachelors Button Care
Cornflower Care – Bachelors Button Care. In the following paragraphs, we will review the care for cornflowers. As already mentioned, it is an easy plant to care for and grow, with a good germination success rate. Bachelors Button Care.
Let’s continue reading Cornflower Care – Bachelors Button Care
Bachelors Button Care: Location
Bachelors Button Care: Location. For the cornflower to grow and develop properly, it must be placed outdoors, in a sunny exposure. It can also be in semi-shade, but it must receive direct sunlight at least 4 hours a day.
Cornflower Care: Soil
Care for Cornflower: Soil for Cornflower in a Pot. You can use a universal growing medium mixed with 30% perlite in equal parts.
Care for Cornflower: Soil for Cornflower in the Garden. it is not demanding, but it should have good drainage.
- Great substitute for garden soil or potting mix
- Can be used in ground or in containers (see label for instructions)
- Grows up to 3X bigger plants than native soil and feeds up to 6 months
Let’s continue reading Cornflower Care – Bachelors Button Care
Watering – Bachelors Button Care
Watering – Bachelors Button Care. The frequency of watering will vary depending on the season of the year in which we are, as well as its location.
During the summer Bachelors Button should be watered more often in winter, so it will usually be watered about 3 times a week in the warmer months of the year and once a week the rest of the year.
Fertilizing Cornflower
It is advisable to fertilize cornflowers from the beginning of spring until the end of summer with liquid universal fertilizer to obtain a better flowering. It is advisable to follow the indications specified in the product package (Order here).
- Contains high phosphorus to help plants bloom
- Feed every 1-2 weeks for best results
- Water-soluble plant food feeds plants instantly
Pruning Cornflower Plants
Pruning Cornflower plants is not necessary. It is enough to remove withered flowers and dry, sick, or weak leaves.
Propagation of Cornflower from Seeds
Multiply your cornflower by sowing its seeds. The method to propagate bachelor’s button is by seeds. Propagation of Cornflower from seeds.
How to Propagate Cornflower from Seeds
To propagate cornflowers from seeds we can sow their seeds throughout the spring following this step by step:
The first thing we will do is to choose the seedbed for your bachelor’s button. As such we can use pots, milk containers, yogurt cups, … whatever we find that is waterproof. In the case of using product containers, we have to clean them well with water and make a hole for water drainage (Order seeds here).
Then, we fill it with a universal culture substrate for plants, or seedbeds, and we water it.
The cornflower seeds are then dispersed throughout the surface and covered with a thin coating of the substrate. It’s best not to place too many cornflower seeds in the same seedbed since they’ll almost certainly all germinate. If they’re too close together, they won’t grow well. The cornflower seeds should not be put more than three in a pot of 4 inches (10,5 cm) in diameter.
We next water the seedbed again, this time with a sprayer, and set it in a sunny location to facilitate the growth and propagation of cornflower from seeds.
Cornflower seeds will germinate in 7-10 days if the substrate is kept damp (but not wet).
Hardiness for Cornflower
Hardiness for Cornflower. Cornflower (Bachelors Button) does not tolerate cold or frost. USDA Hardiness Zone 2-11.
Uses and Benefits of Cornflower
Ornamental Cornflower
One of our readers recently asked What is Cornflower used for? Ornamental: Like many blue flowers, cornflower is widely used in weddings, whether is combined with other blue flowers or combined with white flowers. Cornflower plants are also perfect for decoration in gardens. However, the Cornflower plant has also an industry used for cosmetics in hair products, and due to its medicinal properties used in some medications. In the following paragraphs, we will review What is Cornflower used for?
Uses and Benefits of Cornflower. Ornamental Cornflower. As we have seen, it is a very decorative plant that can be used to decorate any sunny corner of the garden or patio. It looks great as part of a flower bed or carpet, but also in a pot as a centerpiece. Widely used in weddings combined with other blue flowers or white flowers.
Cornflower Meaning and History
Legend has it that Cyanos, a beautiful young Roman who was very devoted to the Goddess Flora and was very fond of the color blue, died suddenly while walking through a wheat field. The Goddess, moved by his untimely death and grateful for the young man’s devotion to her, turned him into a beautiful blue flower and named it after the boy.
Legends aside, the cornflower, whose scientific name is Centaurea cyanus, is a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family and classified in the genus Centaurea. Originally it grew wild in the cereal fields of Europe and its seeds have adapted to all types of the climate so that today they can be found on all continents.
Despite its humble origin, the cornflower flower has a great weight in the popular culture of some countries, not in vain is the national flower of Estonia and in France is the symbol of the “Associations of former combatants”.
The flower had a special symbolic significance in ancient Rome, where it was assigned to the goddess of the harvest as a hair ornament. In addition, it has been and is used by a wide variety of political parties as a symbol of recognition, including the illegal German national movement in pre-fascist Austria, but also as a symbol of the liberal party of Sweden and the national flower of Estonia.
Bachelor Button Flower Meaning
Bachelor Button Flower Meaning. What is Cornflower used for? The Cornflower plant is widely used for weddings because of the meaning of this blue flower.
Bachelor button flowers are associated with love, youth, and healing. At various times in history, these flowers were particularly popular among the young of many civilizations. As mentioned in previous paragraphs, cornflowers or Bachelor button was JFK’s favorite flower.
Ted Kennedy, the bride’s uncle, combined with the bridesmaid with a bachelors button (cornflower) flower inserted in the buttonhole of his suitcoat.
The common name for cornflowers as Bachelors button comes from the 1600s. In the 1600s, they were imported to the United States. Bachelor’s Button got its name from the fact that the blooms were frequently inserted in the buttonholes of men’s suitcoats during Victorian times. This is why the name most commonly used for this flower in the United States is Bachelors Button. However, in other countries such as Australia and New Zealand, the flower is better known as Cornflower.
Cut Bachelors Button Flower
Cut Bachelors Button Flower. The cornflowers can be cut and placed in a vase and last several days.
Medicinal Properties of Cornflowers – Cornflower Benefits
Medicinal Properties of Cornflowers. Cornflower Benefits. It seems Bachelor Button has some benefits. Cornflower water is made from the decoction of the blossoms and is used as an anti-inflammatory on the eyes. Cornflower water appears to be one of the greatest natural treatments for caring for the eyes, as it strengthens and cleanses them. This isn’t the sole medical purpose for it, though.
Cornflower water is also useful to relieve the symptoms of rheumatism, flu and colds, cancer, infections, inflammations, eczema, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, seborrhea, and even gray hair (Cornflower benefits for hair).
Use of Cornflower in Cosmetics
Use of Bachelors Button in Cosmetics. As a gardener I have always enjoyed watching this beautiful blue flower, the cornflower or bachelors’ button, grow. It is a very wildflower with a super successful germination rate that also reminds me of my childhood. Not only is it a beautiful flower but it also has other applications. Cornflower has applications in the cosmetic industry with components that are part of makeup remover lotions and mild shampoos.
Are Cornflowers Edible? Edible Cornflower Blossoms in Salads
Is Centaurea cyanus Edible?
Are Cornflowers Edible? Yes, Cornflower blossoms and buds are edible and may be cooked or used as an addition to salads. Its anthocyanin component, a category of blue pigments named after the flower, is particularly intriguing (Centaurea cyanus). Check out our recommended recipe.
This allows blue hues to be extracted from the flowers, which may then be utilized to create pastries and cakes. The color created can be used as a fabric dye, however, it is not washable.
Bachelors Buttons Toxic to Cats – Bachelors Buttons Toxic to Dogs – Cornflower Toxic for Dogs
Are Bachelor Buttons Toxic to Dogs? Are Bachelor Buttons Toxic to Cats? Cornflower Toxic for Dogs. Cornflower (Bachelors Button) is not toxic to animals and the flowers are edible for humans.
Although the wild version, unlike the ornamental variety, has some beneficial components, it is not very significant as a therapeutic plant. It was formerly thought to be a mystical medical plant since it was used to heal and prevent eye disorders.
Where to Buy Cornflowers or Bachelors Buttons?
During the spring, we may find our cornflower specimen at any nursery, garden store, or local market. Its price is quite modest, only 1-2 dollars or 1 euro per flowering plant, making it very simple to have a gorgeous blue flowering patio or garden. Cornflower seeds are very inexpensive, grow fast and easy, it is our recommended option, especially for gardener’s beginners.
We hope you found this article about when to plant cornflowers in Australia, New Zealand, and Northern Hemisphere countries useful. You may also have found the tips on how to propagate cornflowers from seeds and the care for bachelors’ buttons useful.
More blue flowers are usually used for weddings: Iris, Nigella, Anemone of the Panda, Echinops or thistle, Delphinium, Hyacinth (Hyacinthus niger) Viburnum Berries, Tweedia, Hydrangea, Forget me not, Muscari.
