Good to know about Cornflowers

Easy to grow and care for - seeds are cheap and sold in lots of shops

Cornflower is an annual plant growing to 40-90 cm tall. The flowers are most commonly an intense blue colour. It flowers all summer (June-September).

It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, where several cultivars have been selected with varying pastel colours, including pink and purple.

Light requirements: full sun. Water requirements: high-average water daily.

Centaurea is a genus of between 350 and 600 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich.

Due to their habit of dominating ecosystems under good conditions, many Centaurea species can become invasive weeds in regions where they are not native. The seeds are typically transported by human traffic, in particular the tires of all-terrain vehicles.

Centaurea are copious nectar producers, especially on high-lime soils. The high nectar yield of the genus makes it very attractive to insects such as butterflies. The larvae of some Lepidoptera species use Centaurea species as food plants.

Centaurea are popular food sources for insects that may otherwise attack certain crops

Cornflower support and attract many types of beneficial life (not just beetles), these areas are known as beetle banks. They additionally have the beneficial aspect of supporting pollinators.

Due to genetic differences related to evolutionary adaption, not all members of Centaurea produce the same amount of nectar. Growing conditions, such as climate and soil, can have a very strong impact, even if the plants grow and flower.

Placing beehives near stands of Centaurea will cause increased pollination. As most seedheads fail however when biocontrol pests have established themselves, the plants will bloom ever more abundantly in an attempt to replace the destroyed seedheads, to the point where they exhaust their resources in providing food for the pests (seeds), bees (pollen) and humans (honey).

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