Centaurea montana 'Black Spike'
Perennial cornflower 'Black Spike'
Centaurea is a genus of herbaceous, thistle-like flowering plants that may be annuals, perennials or subshrubs. It is a tallish plant with raggedy-petalled flowers from late Spring into late Summer. . There are many common names for this genus. 'Cornflowers' is often used for a few species, but it is generally reserved for varieties of Centaurea cyanus, which is also sometimes also 'basket flower'. Centaurea montana is a rhizomatous perennial. It has simple or lobed leaves, hairy on the underside, and, in late Spring to Summer, blue 5 cm. flower-heads reddish in the centre Centaurea montana 'Black Spike' sports flowers which are exotic-looking, with silky, purple-black, starburst petals.
Contributed by @ellenmarygardening
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Full sun
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Very little water
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Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)
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Free draining and fertile
Common name
Perennial cornflower 'Black Spike'
Latin name
Centaurea montana 'Black Spike'
type
Flowering plant
family
Asteraceae
ph
5.0 - 8.5 Acid - Neutral
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Light
Full sun
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Frost
Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)
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Soil
Free draining and fertile
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Water
Very little water
Plant & bloom calendar
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Best time to plant
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When the plant will bloom
full grown dimensions
0.60 M
0.35 M
Centaurea montana 'Black Spike'
Centaurea is a genus of herbaceous, thistle-like flowering plants that may be annuals, perennials or subshrubs. It is a tallish plant with raggedy-petalled flowers from late Spring into late Summer. . There are many common names for this genus. 'Cornflowers' is often used for a few species, but it is generally reserved for varieties of Centaurea cyanus, which is also sometimes also 'basket flower'. Centaurea montana is a rhizomatous perennial. It has simple or lobed leaves, hairy on the underside, and, in late Spring to Summer, blue 5 cm. flower-heads reddish in the centre Centaurea montana 'Black Spike' sports flowers which are exotic-looking, with silky, purple-black, starburst petals.
Planting Outdoors
From Early Spring TO Late Spring
Plant container grown plants into site having dug compost into the soil first.
Propagation by seed Spring
From Early Spring TO Mid Spring
Sow cornflower seeds outdoors where they are to grow from early spring. Choose a position in full sun on well drained soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Sow seeds thinly, at a depth of 3mm (1/8") in drills spaced 30cm (12") apart. Water the ground regularly, especially during dry periods. Germination usually takes 14-21days. When cornflower seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them out to 15cm (6") apart. Alternatively, grow cornflowers indoors in early spring for early summer flowering next year. Sow cornflowers on the surface of a good quality seed compost at a temperature of 18-23C (65-73F) and cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Do not exclude light as this helps germination. When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to move outdoors.
Flowering
From Late Spring TO Late Summer
The flowers appear from late Spring to late Summer
ellenmarygardening