Cornflower - a grassy annual or perennial with delicate flowers. The plant belongs to the Asters family. The scientific name - centaurea - is interpreted differently as the "centaur flower" or "piercing bulls." He is known to almost everyone. Although the birthplace of the plant is Southern Europe, it can be found everywhere in a temperate climate: in the fields, in the steppes. Cornflower is used in a variety of ways. They decorate the garden, and also used in medicine and cooking. In Russia, the plant was considered a powerful amulet against evil spells and was used by girls in rituals for the feast of Ivan Kupala.
Plant description
Cornflower is a flowering plant with a developed horizontal rhizome and grassy stems. Upright, slightly branched shoots grow in height by 50-80 cm. They are covered with a short hard pile and painted in green. Small-lanceolate leaflets of small size even on one plant differ. The lower ones are larger, lobed, and the upper ones are narrow, whole.
At the top of the stems, small inflorescences-baskets are formed. They begin to bloom in June and succeed each other until autumn colds. Inflorescences are simple and terry. They consist of bisexual tubular flowers in the center and sterile reeds closer to the edge. Narrow, carved petals are arranged in 1-2 rows or evenly throughout the inflorescence. Their color is yellow, blue, white, pink, blue, purple or burgundy.
Cornflowers are good honey plants. Each flower can produce up to 6 servings of pollen. After pollination, dry polyspermous boxes of about 5 mm in length mature. At the top is a silver-gray crest. Seed ripening occurs in July-October.
Types of cornflower
The kind of cornflower is very diverse. It includes more than 700 plant species. Some of them have an undefined status or are recognized as synonymous with other species, but the remaining varieties are more than enough to decorate the garden.
Cornflower meadow. Perennial flowering grasses can grow up to 1 m in height. They have a powerful vertical rhizome and erect stems with a rough surface. Branching occurs mainly in the upper part. The elongated lanceolate leaves with a rough surface are dark green in color with a silver coating. In early summer, fluffy baskets open. Calyx - scaly, yellow. From the top peep lilac-pink narrow petals. Tubular flowers are concentrated in the center.
Cornflower is rough. The herbaceous perennial has erect or ascending stems with faces. The height of the plant is 0.4-1.2 m. Incised leaflets are painted in dark green. At the base of the stem, they grow on the petioles, and in the upper - they sit on it. Single baskets with an egg-shaped brownish cup dissolve lilac-purple or pink flowers. Flowering occurs in June-September.
Cornflower mountain. Plants have a powerful horizontal rhizome and an erect unbranched stem. Its height is 60 cm. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, bright green. Flowers - single baskets with a diameter of up to 6 cm consist of blue-violet reed flowers along the edge and short tubular ones in the center. The variety blooms all summer.
Cornflower blue. An annual or biennial with a rough erect stalk 15-100 cm in height. Rhizome - thin, pivotal. The shoot is branched in the upper part and covered with lanceolate, notched foliage with a short felt pile. A basket in the shape of a crown blooms lilac-blue flowers. Below is an ovoid greenish-brown calyx. The same species is called the cornflower field or sowing. Its seeds are often mixed with cereals and clog crops, therefore, the plant in agriculture is considered weedy, difficult to eradicate.
Cornflower garden. An annual or perennial ornamental plant up to 120 cm high blooms beautiful large baskets with pink, bright blue, blue or burgundy petals. Its flowering is long and plentiful. A very popular varietal group is the "terry cornflower". It has spherical bright heads in which reed flowers are located including in the center. Corrugated petals, serrated. Varieties:
- Blue Boy - on the shoots of 50-90 cm in height, dark blue baskets open;
- Red Boy - blooms ruby-red flowers;
- Schneemann - a plant 70-80 cm tall blooms snow-white terry flowers.
Breeding methods
Annual and perennial cornflowers are conveniently grown from seeds. Sowing is done immediately in open ground or in containers (if you plan to decorate the balcony and porch). In mid-April, the soil is prepared for planting: dug up and loosened. The soil must be non-acidic. Cornflowers are believed to grow better on calcareous soils, and the color of the petals is brighter. Seeds remain viable for up to 3 years. They are sown without pretreatment in the wells with a depth of 2-3 cm. They try to distribute evenly, not densely. Shoots appear after 2 weeks. As they grow thin out. First leave a distance of 20 cm, and then for high varieties increase it to 50 cm. You can sow the seeds in October-November, then in the spring seedlings will appear earlier and, accordingly, flowering will begin earlier.
Some gardeners grow seedlings. Seeds should be immediately distributed in peat pots, as the root system is easily damaged. Before planting in open ground it is kept at a temperature of + 18 ° C.
Perennial cornflowers can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. At the end of the flowering period (August), a strong bush is dug up and completely freed from an earthen coma. The roots are washed in warm water. The stems are cut to a height of 10 cm. Rhizome with a knife or a shovel is divided into segments. It can simply be broken apart with your hands. Each divide must have at least 3 kidneys. Immediately after the manipulation, the plants are planted in a new place.
Outdoor Care
Cornflowers are planted in a well-lit, open area. Slight shading is allowed. The soil should be light and loose. Loam or sandy loam will do. If necessary, sand is added to heavy soils.
Everyday care is very easy. It comes down to rare watering, only in the absence of rainfall. Cornflowers tolerate drought well, but they suffer greatly from stagnation of water in the soil.
Once or twice a month, plants are fed with a mineral complex (20-30 g / m²). Well-diluted fertilizer is poured into the soil at the roots. If you add too much dressing, the foliage will begin to turn yellow and dry.
In order for the vegetation to have an attractive appearance, wilted flowers should be removed in a timely manner. You can limit yourself to removing only the inflorescence itself and leave the shoot intact, but it is better to cut it to a height of 10 cm above the ground. Then the shoot will be more accurate and dense.
For winter, plants do not need shelter. Annuals simply cut and dig a site. And perennials are cut to the ground. The remains of the shoots will dry out, and in the spring new shoots will start from the roots.
Cornflower is very rare. This can happen if a too shady and damp place is chosen. Then fusarium develops on the shoots. Treatment with a fungicide will help to correct the situation, but it is better to carefully observe agricultural technology. At high temperatures and dry air, cornflower can be attacked by spider mites. Parasites are disposed of with a soap or insecticide solution.
Cornflower in the garden
The dense and at the same time aerial shoot of cornflowers, decorated with bright multi-colored heads, is used to decorate mixed flower beds, mixborders, balconies and terraces. Flowers can be used in group plantings, combining different varieties, or combined with plants such as cereals, daisies, forget-me-nots, poppies, calendula, marigolds.
Healing properties
The plant is used in traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals. Cornflower flowers contain a large number:
- mineral salts;
- vitamins;
- tannins;
- alkaloids;
- glycosides;
- flavonoids.
Harvesting of raw materials is carried out during the flowering period. Only fresh, not wilted inflorescences are used. They are thoroughly dried in a dark ventilated place and stored in a sealed container.
From the obtained raw materials, water and alcohol infusions, broth or tea are prepared. The drugs have a diaphoretic, antipyretic, diuretic, antimicrobial, choleretic, laxative, analgesic, antispasmodic effect on the body.
Cornflower is taken orally in case of gastrointestinal upset, cough, nervous strain, menstrual cycle failure and heavy bleeding. When used, the condition of the skin and hair improves externally, irritation passes and the wounds heal.
Since the plant contains cyanides that can accumulate in the body, the administration of drugs from cornflower begins after consultation with a doctor. Treatment for pregnant women, people with allergies, and children under 12 years of age is completely contraindicated.
