Centaurea dealbata Seeds

Centaurea dealbata, also known as Persian knapweed, produces finely cut lilac-pink flowers. The radiant flowering occurs in early summer, from the first year. The plant forms a clump of green-greyish leaves that are almost woolly, with white and fluffy undersides. It is a very hardy perennial and looks magnificent in slightly wild borders and flower beds. It is easily grown in ordinary, even poor, dry, and rocky soil. It is also a beautiful cut flower.

Originally from the Caucasus region and northern Iran, Centaurea dealbata is an herbaceous perennial plant in the Asteraceae family. This flowering plant, 80 to 90cm (32 to 35in) tall, develops into an upright and dense clump, covered with beautiful dense foliage with deeply cut, pinnate, light greenish-grey, hairy leaves, with almost silvery undersides. In June and until July, inflorescences resembling cornflowers appear. The flower heads display a bright pink to lavender-pink hue, around a paler centre. The nectar-rich flowering is attractive to pollinators. It is also a long-lived perennial.

Of medium height, Centaurea dealbata is particularly well suited for perennial borders. It forms patches of bright and remarkable colour that will blend well with catmints, globe thistles, and farewell-to-spring. It will make a good impression in a meadow, alongside grasses, sainfoin, ornamental garlic, borage, agrimony, corn marigolds, California poppies, cosmos, and Love-in-a-Mist. The rule of thumb is that the poorer the soil, the more dazzling the result will be. It will be beautiful and will also behave well in a rockery. It is an excellent cut flower, for both dried and fresh bouquets.