Cornflower

Cornflowers are a tall annual with a distinctive vibrant blue flower head. The flower supplies pollen and nectar for bees and lots of other beneficial insects and the seeds also provide food for small mammals and birds such as Goldfinches.

Uses

Cornflower is a strong and reliable species, due to it being an annual it will flower in its first season. The striking flower head will attract a variety of pollinators.

Persistence

This is a strong, reliable species. It is incredibly hardy and able to grow on most soil types, once the flower dies it will self seed.

Strengths

Able to support a variety of pollinators whilst being low maintenance and pest free.

Frost Tolerance

Cornflower seedlings are able to tolerate freezing temperatures and frosts, so seeds are able to be planted in early spring or in the autumn when the winter is mild.

Ideal Sowing Time

Cornflowers are grown from seed planted in the spring and they are best sown direct into the soil in which they are to grow.

Distinguishing characteristics

Seed
Cornflower seeds are very small, long and spiny, orangey brown in colour and have awns at the end.

Flowering Plant
A slender annual from 1 -2 or more feet tall, with oily hairs on the stems and leaves. The lower leaves are toothed or lobed and talked. The bracts around the flower-heads are narrow and pointed with whitish teeth. The bright blue steril, outer florets are larger than the fertile purplish inner ones.

Additional Info

Flowers June-August. Cornflower is also known as bachelor's buttons, bluebottle, blue bonnets, brooms and brushes, pin-cushion and witch bells. Dried cornflowers are sometimes an ingredient of Earl Grey tea. Cornflower is still used in herbal medicine in France today, where the petals are prescribed as a poultice.

Works well with

Common poppy and corn marigold.

Buy Cornflower Straight

You can find Cornflower in the following mixtures

• Annual Beneficial Insect Mix
• Cornfield Annuals Mixture
• Nectar Stewardship Mix (CIPM2/IPM2/AB8)
• Cotswold Wild Flora

History

Once used as a dye in champagne/wine.