Centaurea cyanus,corn flower
Family: Asteraceae
Description:
Azure blue flowers sit atop grey-green branched stems. Delicate, fan shaped petals extend from a cluster of central filaments. Bracts have a pronounced black edge. This species is known to grow within fields of wheat, flour or oats. As a hardy annual, Centearuea cyanus will die within one season, but will typically self-seed and re-sprout the following year. Flowering season lasts throughout the summer.
Growing conditions:
This plant prefers dry sunny locations and will not tolerate wet sites.
Suitable uses:
Centaurea cyanus works well in a wildflower mixture and can compete fairly well with grasses. In dryer climates it is known to be weedy, but is not a problem in the Vancouver area. The beautiful inflorescence contrasts nicely with orange.
CC Image courtesy of Sebastian Rittau on Flickr