Centaurea hypoleuca John Coutts

Cornflowers are annual or perennial plants that have a lot of charm and integrate very easily into naturalistic gardens! <strong>The most well-known are the cornflower, <em>Centaurea cyanus</em> </strong>(also called beard cornflower), <strong>and the mountain cornflower, <em>Centaurea montana</em>.</strong> Flowering often occurs in shades of blue, purple, pink, or mauve... but there are also cornflowers with white, yellow, or even black flowers! The leaves of the cornflower are generally quite ordinary, although there are also varieties with very decorative foliage! This foliage is more or less dissected, and it sometimes takes on a beautiful silvery colour! <strong>Easy to grow, the cornflower is a plant that requires little maintenance.</strong> It is the robust perennial par excellence found in our grandmothers' gardens. The cornflower is content with relatively poor and dry soils, even rocky ones. However, the cultivation methods may vary depending on the varieties: annuals, like the cornflower, are sown in spring directly in place, while perennials (the majority of species) are planted in spring or autumn. Cornflowers are also quite easy to multiply, by sowing or dividing clumps.