Centaurea cyanus
Common name
cornflower
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flowering
November, December
Flower colours
Blue
Fruiting
november, december, january,
Year naturalised
1875
Origin
S.E. Europe, Sicily
Etymology
centaurea: From the classical name kentaurion (Greek) or centaureum (Latin) in the fables of ancient Greece, which describe the plant healing the foot of Chiron, a centaur famed for his knowledge of medicine and astronomy.
cyanus: Dark blue, the Greek name for the cornflower