Leaf
John De Vos, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Perennial cornflower
Centaurea montana L.
Also known as: Mountain cornflower, Mountain bluet
Family: Asteraceae
30 to 60 cm tall
Mountain meadows, borders, gardens, cool soils
Flowering: May – July
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Unlike the annual cornflower, this perennial knapweed returns to the same spot every year without being resown. Perennial cornflower is a robust perennial with large, bright blue, solitary flowers at the top of whitish-hairy stems, whereas cornflower is a slimmer annual of cornfields, with smaller flowers and slender, branched stems.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate-lanceolate, grey-green, downy
🌸 Flowers
Large bright blue flower heads with a purple centre, slender-tipped petals
🍎 Fruits
Achenes topped with a pappus
🪵 Bark
Basal clump, upright, little-branched stems
🗺️ Distribution
Mountains of central and southern Europe; naturalised and widely grown in the lowlands in French gardens.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large blue-violet flower heads very rich in nectar, attractive to bees and butterflies from spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Perennial borders, edging, wildflower meadows; early flowering that repeats if cut back after the first flush.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Perennial cornflower
Centaurea montana
Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
Perennial cornflower is a robust perennial with large, bright blue, solitary flowers at the top of whitish-hairy stems, whereas cornflower is a slimmer annual of cornfields, with smaller flowers and slender, branched stems.
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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