Kingdom

Plantae Order

Asterales

Family

Asteraceae

Tribe

Cynareae

Genus

Centaurea

A drought tolerant annual, native to Europe, which has naturalized throughout North America. The upper half of the plant is multi-stemmed, producing many flowers. Leaves are covered with small white hairs causing the plant to have a blue-gray appearance. The original flower color is blue, but it is now available in white, pink and red. Prefers full sun in various soil types. An outstanding performer whether your preference is for cutting or admiring.

The blue cornflower has been the national flower of Estonia since 1968 and is a symbol of daily read to the nationals of the country. It is also the symbol of the Estonian political party, People’s Union, theFinnish political party, National Coalition Party, and the Swedish political party, Liberal People’s Party, and has also been a symbol of social liberalism in Switzerland since the 20th century. It is also the official flower of the Swedish province of Östergötland.

The blue cornflower is also considered one of the national flowers of Germany. Legend has it that when Queen Louise of Prussia was escaping Berlin and being chased by Napolean’s soldiers, she chose to hdide her children in a field full of cornflowers. She would keep them quiet by making garlands of corn flowers for them. The flower has since been synonymous with Prussia, and hence with ermany, when the two countries got unified in 1871.

How to grow a Corn Flower

• Prep the soil and loosen it with a rake. Start working on it as early as in spring.
• Scatter the seeds across the soil.
• Cover lightly with a thin layer of dirt and pat gently.
• Sprinkle the seeds with water and keep moist.
• Plant the seedlings to 8 to 12 inches apart.
• If sowing in winter, do so without worry, as they can endure the harsh cold and are very hardy.
• Prepare a clear plastic container by poking holes in the bottom and in the lid.
• Put one to three inches of dirt in the base of the container and thoroughly wet the soil.
• Sprinkle the seeds on the soil.
• Put into the soil.
• Water the seeds.
• Place the lid securely on the container and place outside.
• Water the container as soon as the soil starts drying out.
• As soon as the first true leaves arrive, transplanting can begin.

Corn Flower plant care

• Place the plant such that it gets sufficient sunlight, but not too much of it. It can be put on a window sill too, as long as some kind of light covering can be arranged for. An indication of the plant getting excessive sunlight will be the leaves of the plant turning light green. Avoid placing the plant in an area where it might be in direct attack from a breeze or draft.
• Before putting the plant in a container, fill the container with water and let it stay for 48 hours, so that the chlorine evaporates. When the top half of the soil is dry, you can beg9in watering the plant. Pour water close to the stalk, as its roots are close to that area and are very short.
• Water should be added to this plant only when the plant is dry. To test dryness, insert a water gauge 2 inches below the top soil. Water the plant only if the gauge reads “dry” and keep watering until it reads “moist”.
• Every alternate month, fertilize the plant with a liquid fertilizer while watering it.
• As mentioned earlier, the roots of this plant are small. Therefore the plant should e kept in a small pot. Once it grows, a bigger pot can be opted for.
• The height of the corn flower plant can be controlled by pulling out the center of new growth on the plant.