Centaurea cyanus
L.
Cornflower, Garden cornflower, Blue Bottle, Cornflower
(c) Yaman Omran, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Yaman Omran
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman
(c) Antoine Guilbaud, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Antoine Guilbaud
What to Eat
Edible parts: Flowers, Shoots
Colouring. The young shoots are edible. Flowers - raw or cooked. The fresh florets can be used in salads. They are used as a vegetable or a garnish. An edible blue dye is obtained from the flowers, used for colouring sugar and confections.
Where to Find It
Most of Europe, including Britain, to the Near East.
TEMPERATE ASIA: Iraq (north), Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia EUROPE: Finland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (incl. Baleares), France, Portugal
How to Identify
Centaurea cyanus is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate. It is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
How to Grow
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil and a sunny position. Tolerates dry, low fertility and alkaline soils. Established plants are drought tolerant. A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties. The flowers are often used in dried-flower arrangements because they retain their colour well. A good plant for bees, butterflies and moths. The cornflower is considered to be a good companion, in small quantities, for cereal crops, though another report says that its greedy roots deprive the cultivated plants of nutrients and its tough stem dulls the reaper's sickle. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation: Seed - sow March in the greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May. The seed can also be sown in situ during April, whilst in areas where the winters are not too cold a sowing in situ during September will produce larger and earlier-flowering plants
Medicinal Uses
Antifungal Antipruritic Antirheumatic Antitussive Astringent Diuretic Emmenagogue Laxative Ophthalmic Purgative Tonic. Cornflower has a long history of herbal use, though it is seldom employed nowadays. In France it is still used as a remedy for tired eyes, but opinions differ as to its efficacy. Traditionally it is said to work best on blue eyes, whilst Plantago major (great plantain) was used for brown eyes. The dried flowers are antipruritic, antitussive, astringent, weakly diuretic, emmenagogue, ophthalmic, very mildly purgative, and tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 201, 240]. An infusion can be used in the treatment of dropsy, constipation, or as a mouthwash for ulcers and bleeding gums. This infusion is also taken as a bitter tonic and stimulant, improving the digestion and possibly supporting the liver as well as improving resistance to infections. A water distilled from the petals was formerly in repute as a remedy for weak eyes and a soothing lotion for conjunctivitis. The seeds are used as a mild laxative for children. A decoction of the leaves is antirheumatic. Antifungal.
Other Uses
Dye Hair Ink Pot-pourriA blue ink and a dye is obtained from the petals mixed with alum-water. The dye gives a lovely colour to linen, but it is transient. The dried petals are used in pot-pourri in order to add colour. Extracts of the plant are added to hair shampoos and rinses. Grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and as a cutflower in Canada for florists.
Names & Synonyms
Bachelor's button, cornflower, garden cornflower, boutonniere flower, hurtsickle, Bluebottle, or cyani flower, .
