Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball'
cornflower
- approx 300 seeds
- £2.89
- In stock (shipped within 2-3 working days)
Delivery options
- Seed Packets (only) £2.99
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained, preferably poor soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: May to July
- Hardiness: hardy annual
Altogether charming, dark crimson flowers, which look almost black on cloudy days, sit on top of upright, branching stems, looking like miniature pom-poms. Ideally suited to wildflower meadows or naturalised planting schemes, the flowers of Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball' will hold their colour well while attracting beneficial insects in their droves.
Cornflowers prefer poorer soils, so do not use fertiliser. Support taller stems if necessary and deadhead regularly to prolong flowering. In autumn cut the faded flower heads down to the ground and compost the dead stems. Seeds sown in autumn and over-wintered in a cold frame will produce plants that will flower earlier in the year than those sown in spring.
Surface-sow seeds in trays filled with good quality compost, and germinate at 50-61°F (10°C-16°C). Pot on when they have put on their first true leaves and harden off before planting out after the frosts have passed. Alternatively, sow directly in late spring or early summer, and thin out to 30cm as they grow.
