Catananche caerulea
Blue cupidone, Cupid's dart
- Height × spread
- 0.6m × 0.5m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Generally available in Summer
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
A pretty perennial for hot, dry spots, this plant has grey-green grassy leaves and wiry flowering stalks that have scabious-like, lilac blue flowers during summer and sometimes into autumn. Redolent of hot, hazy days, the flowers move and shiver in the light and the breeze. The plant grows naturally by roadsides in the South of France. It is not long-lived, but it can be preserved via division and root cuttings.
- Flower colour
- Blue
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 0.6m
- Spread
- 0.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Mediterranean garden, Gravel garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Dry soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
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.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.