Cornflower perennial: description of varieties and species, cultivation, planting and care in the open field

Among wild flowers, cornflowers stand out for their bright blue heads. The plant has been cultivated for a long time, and the perennial cornflower has firmly taken its niche in decorative floriculture. The popularity of the plant is connected with the unpretentiousness of the decorative culture, the diversity and brightness of the color of the flowers.

Description and features

Herbaceous plant of the Compositae family interesting with baskets of thinly carved petals. The annual and perennial species of the plant has a tall erect stem, reaching a height of 80-100 centimeters. The stem branches out in the middle.Thin lanceolate leaves of cornflower are pubescent with hairs below.

Cornflower blooms all summer. During this period, the marginal asexual petals are colored blue, white, red. In the middle of the basket they are tubular, dark purple.

The garden type of cornflower has a greater variety of colors than the field. Breeders have bred varieties that have not only a simple flower, but also double and semi-double.

If in the wild you have to deal with cornflower like weeds, then in the garden bushes take their place in landscape design. It is interesting that the culture grows everywhere, as it is unpretentious to growing conditions, climate, soil.

Views

Decorative perennials differ little in the structure of the inflorescence. The differences are in the pomp of the petals, their color, the height of the stem.

Blue

A plant with a branched, rough stem is considered a weed.It grows in Europe, especially likes to be in the fields where cereals grow. Flower baskets with blue petals around the edges are wrapped in membranous plates laid with tiles. In the middle of the inflorescence are tubular petals of a purple tone. It is this type of cornflower that is used for medicinal purposes.

White

A rare species of cornflower is listed in the Red Book. It is found in the wild in the mountains in the Caucasus, in Iran. Dense bushes with a height of 30 to 55 centimeters have dissected leaves. The leaves are dark green above and whitish below. The diameter of the inflorescences reaches 4 centimeters.

Mountain

This species of herbaceous plant is found in the mountains of Western Europe. The flower has an erect stem without a side branch, the height of which is from 30 to 70 centimeters. Whole leaves of the lanceolate type are collected in a basal rosette.The stem is crowned with a basket with an inflorescence diameter of 6 centimeters. Outwardly, the mountain cornflower looks like blue, but it belongs to perennial herbs, unlike the field one

Yellow

Bright yellow inflorescences of the plant are quite large, up to 7 centimeters in diameter. The perennial flowers from July to August. It can become a decoration of the site thanks to lush bushes. In nature, yellow cornflower is found in the territory from the Urals to the Far East.

Big Head

Cornflower is called Grossheimia large-headed. The inflorescences are spherical in shape, they are large, and from below they are wrapped with scales of green plates. Flowers are cut for a long time and can become a decoration of the room.

Oriental

For perennial:

• short rhizome;
• hairy stem 40-90 centimeters high;
• pinnatipartite leaves on long petioles;
• basket of inflorescences with a diameter of 3 centimeters;
• intense yellow corolla.

The species grows in the steppes, propagating by seeds.

Meadow

Weed plant is found along roadsides, on forest edges. Purple-pink inflorescences-baskets consist of 2 types of flowers. At the edges of the petals are asexual, similar to a funnel. In the center are modest tubular ones, which are needed for the reproduction of cornflower.

Field

Herbaceous annual or biennial used in medicine. Its blue or blue heads are found in fields sown with cereal crops. Growing, the weed destroys part of the crop. Cornflower is actively used in folk medicine.

Bleached

The flower is famous for the beauty of petals and leaves.Bright pink flowers sit singly on tall stems. Basal leaves are collected in a rosette. The plates are green above and covered with whitish felt below. Designers appreciate the cornflower for the neatness of the bush, its sphericity and silvery shades.

Sprawling

In a plant, the stem branches at the very base. The bush differs in small baskets of flowers. The color of the petals is pale pink or white. Cornflower belongs to biennial crops, blooms from June to autumn. Grows profusely in wastelands, near railways, near highways.

Pink

Perennial reaches a height of a meter. From above, large flowers of a rich pink color appear. A feature is the swelling of the stems under the inflorescences.

American

Decorative cold-resistant species grows in the prairies of North America. Single flowers up to 8-10 centimeters in diameter are located on erect stems 1 meter high. The color of the petals is pale lilac.

Sowing

The blue cornflower belongs to the sowing species. It tolerates wintering well and is unpretentious in care.

Popular varieties

Garden types of cornflowers have many varieties. But all varieties are resistant to drought, sudden changes in temperature. They can bloom profusely in barren areas.

Pindian

Low bushes of decorative culture will decorate any flower bed. Lemon-yellow flowers appear on stems in May. Cirrus cut leaves during the growing season change shade from light green to dark.

Blue Angel

Slender branching plant pleases all summer with double flowers of sky-blue color. The culture tolerates drought well, frost-resistant. Prefers sunny areas, unpretentious to the content of the soil.

John Coates

The plant has large lilac-pink inflorescences with a white center. The variety belongs to honey plants. It is used for planting in mixborders and mixed flower beds.

How to plant in open ground

If you want to ennoble abandoned areas in the garden where nothing grows, then it is best to plant cornflowers there. A garden variety of plant varieties allows you to make a corner of the garden bright and spreading fragrance.

Timing

Cornflower seeds need warmth to plant. It is best to sow an ornamental plant in late April or early May. Dates are shifted if the soil is not warm enough.

Cornflowers are planted with cuttings in autumn, in mid-October.

Choosing a seat

Note the unpretentiousness of perennial garden species. The main thing for cornflowers is that the site has:

• good lighting;
• loose light soil;
• neutral acidity;
• humus layer.

You can plant flowers in flowerbeds where partial shade does not last long. But the plant blooms better in the light.

Soil Requirements

Sandy, dry soils are suitable for cornflower. A flower grows worse on clay soil. Before sowing the seeds, they dig up the plot, harrow it, breaking up large clods of earth. If nothing grew in this place, then fertilizers must be applied. Scatter manure or compost before digging the flower bed.

Plant pattern

Flower seeds close up to a depth of 2-3 centimeters. The distance between them should be 20-30 centimeters. Bushes should be planted so that the growth bud is at the level of the soil surface.If the roots of the cornflower are horizontal, then the kidney is lowered when planting 2-4 centimeters deep. The distance between seedlings is not less than half a meter.

Reproduction

Plant transplantation is performed in such a way as to carry out the reproduction of flowers. There are several ways to reproduce. For beginner gardeners, the vegetative method is suitable. It gives good results when transplanting rules are followed.

Root cuttings

This method involves choosing a he althy bush with developed side shoots. At the end of September, an operation is carried out by digging up the roots of a cornflower with stems. Cuttings should be cut 10 centimeters long with 2-3 buds. Then they are planted in moist and well-fertilized soil. Before the start of winter, the cuttings will take root well.

Dividing the bush

You can divide a bush by carefully freeing part of it from the soil. It is necessary to shorten the ground part of the cornflower.Then the shoots are separated from the mother bush, planted in a prepared place, and the rest is covered with nutrient soil and watered. Choose sunny weather with stable temperatures for breeding

Seeds

Seeds collected in autumn are dried. In the spring, they must be soaked and placed on a prepared bed. In regions with a cold spring, seeds should be planted in April for seedlings. In May, after warming, cornflower seedlings are planted in a permanent place.

Abundant self-seeding

For lazy summer residents - this is the best way to propagate cornflowers. Flowers drop seeds to the ground in autumn. In the spring you can find the appearance of young shoots. They are carefully dug up together with an earthy clod on the roots and placed in a flower bed.

Care

There is nothing difficult in caring for decorative perennials. It is only necessary to carry out the usual procedures on time so that the plants have enough moisture, light, air and nutrition.

Irrigation

Moisture for flowers should be in moderation. Water the flower beds with cornflowers as the top layer dries. Planting cannot be flooded, otherwise the root system will rot.

The plant tolerates a lack of watering better than its excess.

Loosening and weeding

It is necessary to loosen the ground around the bushes constantly. This is especially important after heavy rains, abundant watering.

Flowering bushes grow poorly if there are a lot of weeds nearby. It is necessary to pull them out as a source of the spread of diseases and pests.

Cutting

To create a neat bush, cornflowers are pruned, removing faded buds.In the spring, diseased and damaged stems are removed. Such operations will help the flower garden or flowerbed look beautiful, well-groomed.

Feeding

During the growing season, cornflowers need fertilizer. Every 2-3 weeks, the bushes are fed with mineral fertilizer complexes. Before wintering, compost, humus, potassium s alt and superphosphate are necessarily introduced into the soil. You can feed the cornflowers with wood ash.

Protection from diseases and pests

Decorative culture rarely gets sick, for which it is valued among flower growers and designers. In rare cases, a cornflower becomes ill with a fungal infection if the air temperature drops and humidity increases.

Spider mite

You can determine the appearance of a pest on cornflowers by the web on the back of the sheet. In this case, the plant begins to lag behind in growth and development. To stop the harmful effects of insects should be sprayed with insecticides or tobacco decoction.

Fusariosis

When cornflower leaves are covered with brown spots, and then prominent black pycnidia appear on them, then this Fusarium fungus has become active on plants. As a result of infection, cornflowers wither and die. They fight the fungus by spraying with the drug "Fundazol" or "Topsin N". For prevention, bushes should be sprinkled with wood ash.

Features of cultivation

No special knowledge is required to grow cornflowers. You need to choose the right place for perennials. Many use plants to decorate neglected places on the site. Blooming cornflowers look very beautiful at the site of a former landfill or near a fence where only weeds grew. Depending on the variety, they try to land correctly. Tall cornflowers with horizontal roots need more space.Short cornflowers with vertical roots can be planted more compactly.

Collection and storage of seeds

Collect cornflower seeds after the plants have faded. Readiness of seeds is determined by the dryness of the seed box. Seeds must be dried in a well-ventilated place. Store them in a cardboard box or canvas bag. They are suitable for planting for 3 years.

Application

Cornflower flowers are of great importance in the treatment of many diseases. The composition of the herb contains substances that are needed for the preparation of alcoholic beverages, cosmetics.

Folk and practical medicine

For medicinal purposes, use the blue cornflower that grows in the field. For application, it is necessary to collect the extreme asexual petals during flowering. It is necessary to dry the raw materials in the attics, where it is well ventilated.

Infusion of flowers used in treatment:

• chronic kidney disease;
• inflammation of the bladder, urinary tract;
• heart disease, arrhythmias;
• jaundice.

Cornflower is part of the medicinal collection to increase appetite, improve digestion, reduce uterine bleeding.

Infusion is prepared from 1 teaspoon of flowers per 250 ml of boiling water. Infuse for an hour in a closed container. Drink advises a diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-febrile agent 50 ml 15-20 minutes before meals 3 times a day.

Crushed cornflower leaves are used as a compress, applied to wounds. Lotions from the infusion of flowers treat conjunctivitis, blepharitis, barley. They are used for night blindness.

For decorative purposes

Dried flowers serve to decorate the premises of the house. Cornflowers are plants that can be dried for various crafts, winter bouquets. It is necessary to dry the flowers so that the petals do not lose their integrity and color. To do this, use the drying method between thick sheets of cardboard, in sand or semolina.

Distillery industry

Cornflower blue honey has a greenish-yellow color, and its taste is comparable to the bitter taste of almonds. Therefore, to create an original composition, this herbal component is added to liqueurs and tinctures.

Cosmetology

To improve the condition of the skin, eliminate oiliness, close wide pores on the face, use an infusion of cornflower flowers. 3 tablespoons of dried petals pour 100 ml of boiling water. After cooling, 50 grams of honey is added to the liquid. The mask is applied to the face, washing off with warm water after half an hour.

Prepared from infusion and cornflower blue ice, which is used to wipe the face in the morning.

Landscape design

Garden perennials are needed to renew the relief of the site, reservoirs. The first plan in the flower garden can be occupied by medium-sized cornflowers: meadow, mountain, bleached. You can dilute plantings with white daisies, hybrid cinquefoil. In rockeries, islands of cornflowers look like bright spots. Field plant species are chosen for a rustic garden style.

Natural dye

The dye is found in cornflower petals. You can use them for dyeing fabrics, wool. To obtain a solution, it is necessary to pour 100 grams of raw materials with a liter of water and bring to a boil. It is necessary to simmer on low heat for half an hour. After straining, pour a second time and repeat this operation again. Light wool is best dyed with a decoction of cornflower flowers than fabric. She becomes blue, the color of heaven.

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