Centaurea dealbata
Perennial cornflower, Persian cornflower, Whitewash cornflower
- Height × spread
- 0.9m × 0.6m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This plant is worth growing for the foliage alone. It has arching leaves clad in attractive leaflets and coloured a warm bluish grey-green. The flowers are lilac pinkish with big round centre and fluffy separated outer rays, like cornflowers. They are attractive to bees and redolent of the cottage garden. The plant has a long flowering season from June to August, but flowers appear in moderation, so it is a good plant to support more ornamental features and the foliage is a good solid addition to any garden.
- Flower colour
- Lilac, Pink, Purple
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, fragrant
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 0.9m
- Spread
- 0.6m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Wild flower meadow, Seaside garden, Scented garden, Prairie garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Bee attraction, Butterfly attraction
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Summer
Summer - early · Outdoors
Feed a general fertiliser
Where plants have moderate needs for nutrients, they can simply be given a general feed, fairly early in the growth season so that the growth has plenty of time to harden off before the cold weather.
Give plants a general boost with the application of a general purpose fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plant, with amounts as directed on the feed label.
Found in
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