Bachelor's Button named Black Ball #4

This piece has been featured in the FAA Groups, Flowers Up Close ..., and Macro Photography Group.... more

by J McCombie

Title

Bachelor's Button named Black Ball #4

Artist

J McCombie

Medium

Photograph - Untouched

Description

This piece has been featured in the FAA Groups, "Flowers Up Close ...", and "Macro Photography Group".
Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower, bachelor's button, bluebottle, boutonniere flower, hurtsickle or cyani flower, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. "Cornflower" is also used for chicory, and a few other Centaurea species; to distinguish C. cyanus from these it is sometimes called common cornflower. It may also be referred to as basketflower, though the term also refers to the Plectocephalus group of Centaurea, which is probably a distinct genus.
Bachelor's Buttons need little care. Plants are deer resistant. Blooms attract butterflies. Superb cut flowers, fresh or dried. Bachelor's Buttons produce an abundant supply of 2-inch double, fringed, thistle-like blooms in late spring and early summer. Looks exceptionally pretty planted en mass. In mild summer areas they will continue to flower until September if old flowers are removed. Attracts butterflies. Sow seeds in fall in mild winter areas or early spring everywhere.
Annual Bachelor's Buttons are traditionally known for their blue, white or pink flowers, but this variety is definitely different. It boasts dense heads of large, double flowers in a rich, milk-chocolate hue that looks mostly black on cloudy days. Centaurea cyanus "Black Ball" is a stunning selection of this classic cottage garden flower. It has super dark deep maroon-garnet, crimson-black to purple-black flowers and grows 2-3 feet tall. They are superb for cutting. A true standout in our flower gardens, the deep maroon, almost black flowers stand atop 1m tall, fine, branching long stems on compact, bushy plants with foliage that is silver-green.
One of the coolest looking seeds around, to boot. Similar (or possibly even the same) as the cultivar ￿Garnet Gem￿.
An elegant cutflower, with edible petals that look fantastic strewn ever-so-carelessly on your summer salads or desserts. Mmmmmm! A treat for the eye and the palate. Some describe their taste as sweet or cucumber-like. Bachelor￿s buttons also have a long tradition in herbal and natural medicines as an anti-inflammatory, so you can include them in the herb garden. As an ornamental, bachelor￿s buttons look pretty in wildflower gardens. The cornflower is also considered a beneficial weed.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, where several cultivars have been selected with varying pastel colours, including pink and purple. Centaurea is also grown for the cutflower industry in Canada for use by florists. The most common colour variety for this use is a doubled blue variety such as 'Blue Boy' or 'Blue Diadem'. White, pink, lavender and black (actually a very dark maroon) are also used but less commonly. Cornflowers have been used and prized historically for their blue pigment. Cornflowers are often used as an ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas, and is famous in the Lady Grey blend of Twinings. A relative, Centaurea montana, is a perennial plant which is also cultivated as a garden plant. Cornflowers germinate quickly after planting. Light requirements: full sun. Water requirements: high-average water daily. Soil pH requirements: neutral (6.6-7.5) to mildly alkaline (7.6-7.8). It flowers all summer.

Uploaded

December 8th, 2015