Cornflower (Centaurea) is a herbaceous annual or perennial plant from the Asteraceae (Asteraceae) family.

Origin

Cornflower is widespread in the temperate zone of Eurasia, northern Africa and the Americas. The cornflower genus includes about 500 species of plants; more than 150 species of cornflower grow in our country. IN agriculture meadow cornflowers are considered malicious weeds that infest wheat fields. Gardeners enjoy growing unpretentious and bright flowers in flower beds.

Description

The plant forms herbaceous branched bushes, from 30 cm to a meter in height. Cornflower flowering begins at the end of May and lasts until autumn. The color of the flowers can be blue, bright blue, white, pink, purple.

Types and varieties

You can appreciate the variety of cornflower species from the presented photos of the flower.

1. Blue cornflower. The popular names of this most common cornflower in our gardens are: cornflower, commotion, bell ringer. The plant is an annual plant, reaches a height of 60 cm, the leaves are elongated, grayish-green. Flowers can be single or double, blue, pink, light blue or white. Varieties:
   Alba is a variety with double snow-white flowers;
   The anniversary stone is a cornflower, 20 cm high, with bright blue flowers;
   Azuria - double flowers have a bright blue tint;
   Carmina - cornflower with bright red or dark pink double flowers;
   Blyaur Bush – low-growing variety flower with blue inflorescences.

   

2. Mountain cornflower. Annual, 80 cm high. Flower baskets are single, 7–8 cm in size, white, blue or pink.

   

3. Cornflower meadow. The species is widespread in meadows and fields in the central zone of our country. The height of the plant is 80 cm, the foliage is elongated, blue in color. The flowers are 4 cm in size, purple, white or light blue.

   

4. Russian cornflower. Perennial, with a powerful taproot and weakly branched stem, up to 130 cm high. Cornflower inflorescences are yellow, reaching a diameter of 6 – 7 cm.

   

5. Large-headed cornflower. The plant is a perennial, with bright yellow flowers, 5 cm in size. Flowering lasts from the beginning of summer until autumn.

   

6. Phrygian cornflower. The height of the stems of this species reaches a height of 70 – 80 cm. The flowers are pink or purple.

   

Preparing the soil and choosing a place for cornflower

For cornflowers, choose the sunniest areas of the flower garden. The plant can also exist in a slight shade, but flowering will be sparse and growth will be slow.

Cornflower is unpretentious to soils, although it loves loose fertile soils with a neutral reaction. Acidic soils must be limed or dolomite flour added. wood ash. It is useful to scatter ash around perennial plants every year, followed by shallow loosening of the soil.

Excessively heavy soil is improved by adding sand, up to 10 kg per 1 square meter. meter. Well-rotted manure or compost is applied to all types of soil at a dose of 8–10 kg per square area. Organic matter can be replaced with a full complex of mineral fertilizers for flowers, applying it according to the instructions.




Reproduction

You can get cornflowers on your property: by sowing them with seeds, planting a root cutting, or propagating them by cuttings.

Annual varieties of cornflowers are propagated by seeds. In the southern regions, flowers reproduce well by self-sowing. IN middle lane, the seeds are sown directly into the ground in April. At first, the crops are covered with film or lutrasil. Caring for seedlings is simple: moderate watering (it is important to avoid excessive moisture), loosening the soil and protecting from frost by throwing covering material over the plantings.




If the spring turns out to be cold and long, cornflower is sown at home in soil consisting of a mixture of garden soil and sand. It is important to provide cornflower seedlings with a cool temperature, no higher than +15, then the plants will be strong and healthy.

Seedlings are placed in open ground at a distance, depending on the height of the adult plant. Low-growing cornflowers are planted at intervals of 15 - 20 cm, tall ones - up to half a meter.

Perennial varieties of cornflower can be sown with seeds before winter (in October), or in spring, after mandatory stratification.

Perennial cornflowers are easiest to propagate by dividing the bush. Early spring(April) or in August, after flowering. The bush is dug up, the above-ground part is cut off (if division occurs at the end of summer), and divided into parts with pruners or a sharp knife. The delenki are immediately planted in a new place and watered abundantly. Perennial cornflowers are recommended to be replanted every 3 to 4 years.

Cornflower cuttings are cut from plants at the beginning of summer and rooted in a bed with loose soil, with a predominance of sand or perlite. A greenhouse is installed above the plantings. The cuttings are regularly watered and ventilated. Rooted seedlings are placed in a permanent place next spring.

Care

Knapweed unpretentious plant, even an inexperienced gardener can care for it. Immediately after planting, young plants need watering and loosening. Adult plants are watered only in extreme heat.
Annual forms of cornflower do not require fertilizing. For perennials, two feedings are carried out per year: in early spring, the soil in the flower garden is mulched with humus; at the beginning of flowering, the plants are watered with a solution of complete mineral fertilizer for flowers.

It is better to cut off faded cornflower buds so as not to spoil the appearance of the flower and not to weaken the plant by ripening the seeds. Tall varieties of cornflower require staking to supports. Cornflowers can suffer from certain fungal infections, such as Fusarium wilt.

Disease prevention consists of maintaining the distance between plants, maintaining a watering regime and regular loosening. Affected plants are removed from the flower garden and burned. For the winter, cornflowers are not covered perennials; the plant overwinters well under snow cover.

Cornflower in a flower garden

Tall cornflowers are planted in the background of mixborders; they go well with delphiniums, sage, and aconites. Meadow and other medium-sized cornflowers look harmonious in natural-style flower beds, and are combined with chamomile, cinquefoil, cereals, and poppies.

Watch also the video

Cornflower is an ornamental plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. Cornflower inflorescences are very diverse - there are many shapes and colors.

The plant is widely known in Europe, Asia and America. There are more than 500 varieties of the flower.

Cornflower tolerates extreme cold and scorching sun well. Long flowering, which is usually observed from July to September, can be achieved with abundant watering and fertilizing.

It is advisable to plant flowers while maintaining a distance of 20–30 centimeters.

The history of cornflower

Cornflower has been known since ancient times; many myths and legends are associated with it. A wreath of beautiful blue flowers was even found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

In legends Ancient Greece Cornflower is mentioned as a healing agent, the juice of which was used to treat the centaur Chiron’s terrible wounds. Centaurea cuanus is the scientific name of the plant, the literal translation of which is centaur flower.

The Russian name is associated with a legend telling about Vasily, a young man who was transformed by a mermaid into a beautiful blue flower.

Cornflower was the favorite flower of the world famous fabulist Krylov.

Varieties of cornflowers

There are several types of cornflowers:

• mountain - height does not exceed 40 cm, blooms in summer (June - July) with blue flowers;
• whitened - the name is given due to the original color of the leaves (with a white edge below). The flowers have pink, with a white center. Tall species, reaching 80 centimeters;
• large-headed - a species whose height exceeds 1 meter, has huge buds and spectacular yellow flowers;
• beautiful cornflower – flowers soft pink shade framed by grayish-white leaves. Height does not exceed 40 cm;
• rough - grows up to 1 meter, blooms with beautiful crimson-red flowers;
• beautiful cornflower - grows only up to 20 cm, known for its round flowers, with a pinkish-purple hue.

Use in folk medicine

Cornflower inflorescences are a storehouse of healing components. The plant is effective in the fight against many ailments:

• eliminates itching due to eczema;
• quickly helps to cope with the symptoms of diathesis;
• relieves jaundice;
• perfectly relieves puffiness;
• eliminates rheumatic pain;
• has a pronounced choleretic and diuretic effect;
• is an excellent remedy for relieving pain and inflammation;
• used in the treatment of gynecological diseases.

Before using infusions and decoctions prepared from cornflower, consult a doctor.

Disembarkation and care

To propagate perennial cornflowers, seeds are used, which are planted in the spring (April - May) in soil enriched with nutrients.

Plant propagation is also possible by division. The bush, previously selected for division, is dug up, an indentation (10 cm) is made from the root and the shoots are cut off.

The roots are thoroughly washed and cut into 2-3 sections; daughter buds must be present in each of them.

Abundant and lush flowering can be achieved by fertilizing, which is done before flowering begins. To collect the seeds, you must wait until the petals wither and the core of the inflorescence acquires a dark shade.

Dried inflorescences are picked and stored in a dark, dry place for 2–3 weeks, then the seeds are shaken out of the head and planted in the ground in the spring.

Cornflower is an unpretentious plant, requiring only loosening the soil and regular watering.

Decoration of flower beds

Cornflowers in flower beds go well with plants that bloom at the same time as them, such as poppy or calendula.

They form a wonderful colorful meadow. The shrubs available on the site will be perfectly shaded by tall types of cornflower, and, on the contrary, low-growing varieties are suitable for decorating alpine hills.

IN landscape design used for landscaping slopes. Plants located in a flower bed around cornflowers should be restrained, discreet shades.

Cornflower blue- Cenfaurea cyanus L. is an annual or biennial plant from the Asteraceae or Composffae family, 30 to 80 cm high, with a well-developed tap root. The stem is erect, branched. The lower leaves die off early, pinnately, pinnately lobed, with petioles; middle and upper ones are linear, sessile, functioning all summer. The stem and leaves are slightly cobwebby and woolly.
Stems and branches end in inflorescences-baskets. The marginal flowers in the baskets are quite large, funnel-shaped, blue, sterile; internal ones are smaller, tubular, purple, bisexual, each flower has 5 stamens and 1 pistil with a lower ovary. (When they talk about the cornflower blue color, they mean the color of the marginal funnel-shaped flowers of the blue cornflower; many other species of this genus have inflorescences that are not at all “cornflower blue.” tuft almost the same length as the achene.
It blooms in June - July, the fruits ripen in August. Propagated exclusively by seeds. One plant produces from 700 to 7000 viable seeds. Seeds remain viable in the soil for at least three years, and when stored dry - up to 10 years. Plants that infest spring grain crops develop according to the spring type as annuals: they germinate in the spring and manage to produce mature seeds by autumn. The seeds of the cornflower, which lives in winter crops, germinate in the fall and go under the snow in the form of a rosette of leaves; in the spring, a flowering shoot grows, taller and more abundantly bearing fruit than that of the spring cornflower. This plant has a pronounced ability to coincide its development cycle with the development cycle of the grains it infests - it manages to form mature fruits and become seeded before harvesting the crop in whose crops it lives.
The modern range of blue cornflower is very large - it is found on almost all continents (with the exception, of course, of Antarctica), including almost all of Russia, except for the northernmost regions. Typical habitats are crops of rye, wheat, flax, other grains and row crops, young fallow lands, poorly cultivated fallows, it also grows in wastelands, garbage areas in villages, and on railway embankments.
Due to the improvement of agricultural technology and the use of herbicides in many fields, cornflower disappeared completely or its numbers sharply decreased, which began to slow down the procurement of medicinal raw materials. We have to introduce this weed, which has valuable medicinal properties, into the crop.

Economic use of blue cornflower

Cornflower blue- a weed of cultivated agriculture, known since prehistoric times. In principle it should be considered a pest plant. However, such a conclusion would be at least one-sided. Not to mention that cornflower is valuable medicinal plant, as evidenced, in particular, by the fact that he ended up on the pages of this book, he is also very beautiful. Bouquets and wreaths made of cornflower in Rus' have always been highly revered by both ordinary people and “noble” society. It is no coincidence that cornflowers are depicted in paintings, sketches, watercolors, etchings, and drawings by many artists around the world. Poets also paid attention to this marvelous flower.
How ornamental plant Blue cornflower has been introduced into cultivation, grown in flower beds, and even varieties with double inflorescences have been bred. It is considered a good honey plant.
From the flowers you can obtain a permanent dye of blue and blue color for woolen fabrics.

Medicinal value of blue cornflower and methods of medicinal use of cornflower

Dried marginal and partly tubular flowers of blue cornflower are used as a medicine. The marginal flowers contain anthocyanins (cyanine is characteristic of cornflower); flavonoids - apigenin, quercetin; tannins, essential oil, polysaccharides, carotenoids, vitamin C.
Pharmacological studies have shown that cornflower flowers increase diuresis, enhance bile secretion and have antimicrobial properties.
In scientific medicine, blue cornflower is used only as a mild diuretic for edema of renal and cardiac origin in the form of an infusion in a ratio of 1:10. Apply 1/4 cup 3 times a day for 20 - 30 minutes. before meals.
IN folk medicine used as a choleretic, diuretic and diaphoretic for dropsy, jaundice, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder; for colds, and also to improve digestion. The infusion has an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect, relieves spasm of the smooth muscles of internal organs. Used as an antipyretic for fevers, acute respiratory diseases and headaches.
To prepare the infusion, pour 1 teaspoon of raw material into 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. and take 1/3 - 1/2 cup 3 times a day before meals.
An infusion of marginal flowers is often used in the form of eye lotions and eye washes for conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and night blindness - a disease associated with impaired twilight vision.
When treating night blindness, you need to follow a diet: often introduce liver into the diet with a general increased diet of fish oil.
For biliary dyskinesia, cholangitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, as an adjuvant in the treatment of gonorrhea, for nephropathy (late toxicosis of pregnancy), for eczema, furunculosis, use an infusion of flowers: 1 teaspoon of dry crushed raw materials per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. strain. Take 1/4 cup 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals. For eczema and furunculosis, the infusion can be used externally.
Cornflower flowers serve as the basis for the treatment of furunculosis with mixtures of herbs. To prepare the infusion, 2 tablespoons of a mixture consisting of cornflower flowers and burdock roots (15 g each), stinging nettle herb, string, horsetail and speedwell (according to the South), pour 1 liter in the evening hot water and insist, and in the morning boil over low heat for 5 minutes, cool for 30 minutes. and filter. Take one glass 5 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 1.5 - 2 months.
The paste of the flowers is used for palpitations. Brew 1 - 2 teaspoons of flowers with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Pour 1/4 cup 3 times a day for 20 minutes. before meals.
For sore throat, use an infusion of flowers for gargling: 1 tablespoon per 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes.
Brew one tablespoon of cornflower flowers with 400 ml of boiling water. Drink in 3 doses over 30 minutes. before meals. Bulgarian folk medicine uses it as a gastric tonic and as an appetite stimulant.
Infuse one teaspoon of flowers for 1 hour in a sealed container in 200 ml of boiling water, cool, strain. Take 3 times a day for 15 - 20 minutes. before meals for atrial fibrillation.
For warts, apply crushed seeds.
In case of sudden hair loss in some areas of the scalp, pour 1 tablespoon of cornflower flower baskets with 200 ml of water and 200 ml of vinegar. After insisting, boil. Rub the hot infusion into the scalp, once a day.
For reddened eyelids, stye and tired eyes, watery eyes in the wind, pour 1 tablespoon of flowers with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain and use for lotions. Apply tampons moistened with this infusion to the eyes for 15 - 20 minutes.
Infuse 1 teaspoon of cornflower petals for 1 hour. in 200 ml of boiling water and drink 50-70 ml 2-3 times a day before meals for cystitis.
Cornflower leaves are applied to taps to speed up healing.

Features of blue cornflower harvesting

Cornflower flowers are collected during the full flowering phase of plants. They are plucked by hand from the baskets, while trying to ensure that the internal tubular flowers, which deteriorate the quality of the medicinal raw material, do not get into the raw material. Dry the flowers in places protected from the sun and bright light (in attics, darkened rooms, etc.), spreading them in a thin layer on a clean bedding. It should be remembered that drying flowers become very light and at the same time have great windage, so even a small breeze can disperse them and reduce the cost of collecting raw materials and transportation to zero.
Dry raw materials have a bright blue color, a bitter astringent taste, and no odor. It is hygroscopic, so it is better to store it in glass or metal containers with tight lids. Shelf life 1 year.
In the Botanical Dictionary of P. Sedir we read about cornflower: “According to legend, this flower was discovered by Chiron. Useful for jaundice, colic, bile fever, gout, scorbutus, worms and regulatory disorders. Drives out demons (Pliny). From a magical point of view, the powers of this plant increase if you read the words of a spell over it before collecting it. When placed in the oil of a lamp with a small admixture of the blood of a female hoopoe, it causes those present to hallucinate. If you throw a flower into the fire and then look at the sky, it will seem that the stars are moving. The smoke from it, when inhaled, causes fear (Albert the Great)"
Cornflower contains the forces of Jupiter and Saturn. Collect with the Sun in Taurus and the Moon in Gemini.

Everyone has heard at least once about blue cornflower, which is often mentioned in Russian literary works. Blue or field cornflower was revered in Rus' as a flower symbolizing devotion and innocence. A representative of the Asteraceae, it attracts attention with its tenderness and brightness. Since the 60s, blue cornflower has been named the national plant of Estonians.

Blue cornflower is often present as a bright “guest” in city flower beds and flower gardens, and due to its medicinal properties it has been recognized healing plant and included in the book medicinal herbs.

Cornflower blue description

Cornflower, found among meadow grass, belongs to the representatives of the Asteraceae, a group of Compositae. In common people, the plant was called blue flower, rye flower, hairy flower, and blue flower. Thanks to its rapid growth rate and unpretentiousness, cornflower has spread far beyond its native land.

Among the cornflower variety there are perennial and annual varieties. Perennials They withstand bad weather, cold, and drought more steadfastly, flowers of this species grow quickly, get along with all types of plants and sometimes some survive from the site.

Blue cornflower is little susceptible to disease, reproduces without problems, blooms for a long time, and therefore is so loved by gardeners. Throughout the growing season, the leaves of the cornflower remain green; in the fall, with proper care, the plant can turn green again and even delight you with flowers.

The stem of the plant is thin, erect, and prone to lodging, like all meadow plants. Flowering is long, the first from May to June, and with proper care, it blooms again in August, with bright blue flowers.

After flowering, it forms a small seed box, which must be removed in time to avoid the flower turning into an annoying weed.

An alcoholic tincture of cornflower, in combination with celandine, fights fungal skin infections, ulcers, eczema, and also helps speed up the healing process of wounds and abrasions. Blue cornflower also has hemostatic properties; it is used during uterine blood loss. Rinsing with a decoction of cornflower and oak bark will eliminate gum disease and bleeding.

Like all medicinal herbs, blue cornflower has its own contraindications; the flower is contraindicated for pregnant women and nursing mothers, as it has mild toxicity and affects blood clotting. During pregnancy, cyanide, in large quantities contained in cornflower can penetrate the placental barrier and negatively affect the fetus.

Proper planting and adherence to agricultural technology will give you a plant that is not only healthy, but also healing. Indeed, on fertile soils and with good care, the plant fully reveals its medicinal potential, accumulates valuable microelements and retains them.

It is better to sow purchased blue cornflower seeds in the spring, when the earth has warmed up sufficiently, sowing in beds about 2 cm deep, without thickening. The first shoots will appear within a week; it is better to thin out densely growing seedlings immediately.

If you are planting cornflower seedlings, then plant them in holes no more than 10 cm deep, based on the size and length of the roots (the soil should completely cover them, covering three centimeters of the stem).

Keep the distance between seedlings in increments of 30-40 cm.

Flowers are propagated by seed; after flowering, the cornflower forms a seed pod, which, after ripening, will be ready to give you new seeds for planting.

The unpretentiousness of the plant makes it possible for even beginners and inexperienced gardeners to grow it, and its endurance and vitality will save you from painstaking care. Cornflower blooms for a long time and fits perfectly into any landscape, giving it brightness and airiness. And thanks to its ability to survive, the plant is suitable for absolutely any planting, both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.

Caring for cornflower crops

The flower is unpretentious, adapts perfectly to any climatic latitudes and grows on different soils, sometimes unsuitable for flowering crops. Winter period it is not terrible for cornflowers (the plant is frost-resistant), and flowering can please the eye from May to July.

The plant does not need hilling, treatment or protection from insects, and there is no need for frequent weeding either. The flower is not susceptible to disease. For such durability, blue cornflower has been recognized by many gardeners as a “win-win” floricultural crop that anyone can grow.

Light, warmth and moist soil, these are the three postulates that must be observed when planting cornflower. Warmable, sunny plot and regular watering, these are all the conditions for favorable growth and flowering.

For abundant flowering and large buds, the cornflower should be fed during the spring awakening and make sure that at the early stage of the plant’s growing season there are no weeds nearby. Any mineral or organic fertilizer is suitable as a top dressing.

In order to develop a strong root system, especially on heavy clay soils, cornflower will benefit from loosening, which should be carried out at least once a week.

Pruning and shaping the plant is not required, but is not prohibited. After flowering has ended, dried flowers should still be torn off so as not to spoil them. general view flower beds.

Perennial cornflowers bloom without replanting for more than 5 seasons and do not become smaller; they bear fruit from the second year of growing season. Reproduction of cornflowers is possible by seed and by dividing the bush.

After the completion of the flowering cycle, in the fall, it is better to prune cornflowers at the root so as not to infect root system putrefactive infection or fungus.

Properties of blue cornflower

The plant has become famous due to its high content of cyanidin, pelargonidin, anocyanins, flavonoids, luteolin, kaempferol, astragalin, mineral salts, saponins, bitterness, alkaloids, ascorbic acid and pectin. All of these substances have a significant spectrum of antibacterial and diuretic effects.

Pharmaceutical and cosmetology companies have long included hairweed in the list of popular herbs and use it as a single raw material for the manufacture of medicines, and as part of “compound” teas.

The main raw materials for harvesting are flowers and the peduncle of the plant. During harvesting, cornflower flowers are cut, dried, and only then used for their intended purpose.

Medicinal raw materials, if properly dried, can be stored for up to six months in a dry, dark place.

Voloshka, a strong diuretic, is therefore primarily used for the treatment of genitourinary diseases. During research, it was found that medicines based on blue cornflower, relieve spasms, have a diuretic effect, reduce the concentration of uric acid in the body, have an antibacterial and choleretic effect, normalize kidney function and relieve inflammation, and due to the high content of bitterness in the cornflower raw material, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized.

Not only blue cornflower beautiful plant, which can add brightness and airiness to your area, but is also beautiful medicine from many ailments.

Cornflower is a delicate meadow flower, known from fairy tales and ancient legends. It is no less known to herbalists as a valuable and useful medicine. Cornflowers have been used to treat illnesses since the time of Hippocrates. Today, in most cases, the flower is perceived as a weed, and no one grows cornflowers specifically, but in vain - the health benefits of cornflowers are priceless.

Composition of cornflower

The beneficial properties of cornflower are unique; this flower is rich in valuable substances and is able to have a complex effect on the body. Cornflower flowers and grass contain flavonoids, acetylenes, coumarins, mineral salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and copper. Also contains vitamins: and. Thanks to this composition, cornflower has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, diaphoretic, diuretic, mild choleretic and strengthening effects.

How is cornflower useful?

It is impossible not to mention the cleansing properties of cornflower. This plant is used for weight loss. Decoctions and infusions of cornflowers not only remove excess fluid from the body, but also promote fat burning. Drinking cornflower decoction helps improve digestion; as a result, fatty foods are broken down, and fats are not stored for future use, but are eliminated from the body. When consuming cornflower, waste, toxins and harmful substances are removed from the body.

Cornflowers are used for diseases of the genitourinary and excretory system. For edema of cardiac and renal origin, for nephritis, cystitis and urethritis, the diuretic property of cornflower has a positive effect. For diseases of the liver and gall bladder, cornflower is beneficial as a mild choleretic agent.

Cornflower is widely used for cosmetic purposes. The skin around the eyes, which is sensitive and lacks a layer of fatty tissue, responds favorably to masks and lotions made from cornflower. A delicate blue flower can restore radiance and shine to the eyes, eliminate puffiness, swelling and bags under the eyes. If, after prolonged stress, characteristic redness appears in the eyes, cornflower will save you. Cotton swabs soaked in cornflower decoction and applied to the eyelids for 15 minutes will eliminate the deficiency, the eyes will become rested, and the look will be fresh.

• Do not experiment and consult your doctor before taking cornflower infusions orally. Infusions and decoctions of the plant are considered slightly toxic.
• Collect flowers blue. Pale and faded flowers have no beneficial properties.
• Cornflower plant materials are stored for 2 years in a dark place.

Contraindications to the use of cornflower

• Pregnancy.
• Uterine bleeding – increases it.
• Individual intolerance.