Centaurea cyanus Snowman - Cornflower seeds

Centaurea cyanus 'Snowman' is a beautiful double, white selection of an annual field plant called Cornflower or Blue Cornflower. Its flowers are large and full of petals, resembling snowy pom-poms from early summer to early autumn if you regularly deadhead. Highly decorative in large clumps in flower beds, these flowers are perfect in rustic or romantic bouquets.

The annual cornflowers of the 'Snowman' variety belong to the Asteraceae family. Their ancestor, Centaurea cyanus, is an annual herbaceous plant native to Europe and Northern Asia, long considered an invasive weed in cereal crops. It is also one of the most beautiful wildflowers. Each plant forms an upright clump of weak stems, 60-65 cm (24-26in) tall, bearing very narrow and long, greenish-grey leaves. It blooms from June to September, earlier or later depending on the sowing date. The inflorescences, which we call the flowers, are double, 3 cm (1in) diameter heads. The Ligules (or petals of the crown) are pure white, toothed at their tips. The centre of the inflorescence is composed of shorter, pale beige florets. The fruit is an achene that contains seeds easily reseeding in light soil. Plants obtained from self-seeding may not necessarily be identical to the parent.

Annual cornflowers create remarkable spots of colour in flower beds and borders. Centaurea cyanus 'Snowman', a delightful descendant of the most famous among them, brings the charm of the countryside and the purity of its white flowering to our gardens. It will be sublime in wilder flower beds with medium-sized grasses like Stipa tenuifolia or Muhlenbergia capillaris. Also, grow it with poppies, Love-in-a-Mist, large daisies, thistles (Eryngium, Echinops), or chamomiles. The edible flowers can be used to decorate summer salads. It is also an excellent cut flower.