Cornflower – Purplish

Cornflower (Bachelor’s Button flowers) are small, showy blooms, averaging 2 to 5 centimeters in diameter, and have a spreading, upright appearance. The flowers grow on long, grey-green stems that can extend over one meter in height, and each flower is comprised of small, narrow, and jagged petals that cluster around a central disc. The flowers have a frilly, delicate appearance, and the petals are soft and crisp. Wild varieties of Bachelor’s Button flowers were primarily a cobalt blue, but with increased cultivation, the flowers now appear in shades of blue, purple, crimson, pink, and white. Bachelor’s Button flowers emit a faint aroma, and the petals are edible, containing a subtly vegetal, sweet, and peppery taste with cucumber and clove nuances.

Bachelor’s Button flowers, botanically classified as Centaurea cyanus, are an ancient wildflower belonging to the Asteraceae family. The brilliantly colored flowers are easy-to-grow annuals, first discovered in grasslands, pastures, fields, and meadows. Over time, the flowers were selected for commercial cultivation and were bred to showcase vibrant hues and unusual, jagged petals naturalized worldwide. Bachelor’s Button flowers are also hardy plants, sometimes acquiring the title of an invasive species in specific landscapes, but this hardiness has captured the favor of home gardeners who appreciate the plant’s resilience. The flowers are self-seeding and can grow in many types of soil, and there are several common names for the flowers used worldwide, with Cornflowers being the most prevalent. Bachelor’s Button flowers are also known as Boutonniere flower, Blue Bonnet, Blue Cap, Basket flower, Blue Bottle, Ragged Sailors, and Hurtsickle. The flowers earned their bachelor moniker from the Victorian Era. Single men would often wear a Cornflower in the buttonhole of their suit when they were courting women. The flower was a symbol of love and availability, and this practice eventually led the flowers to be a popular wedding boutonniere. Bachelor’s Button flowers have been used for centuries in culinary, medicinal, decorative, and practical applications. The flowers are preserved when dried, frequently used for everlasting flower arrangements, and the petals can be incorporated fresh or dried into culinary dishes, fabric dyes, and medicinal teas.

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