CORNFLOWERS

It’s an annual plant that can be 30–80 cm tall. its scientific name is “Cyanus Segetum” and it grows spontaneously on the Sibillini Mountain. The flower is known as “Cyanus segestum”: cyanus for its color and segestum, from the Latin seges (wheat field) alludes to the place where they grew. Another name, Centaurea cyanus, is conducive to two myths: Cyanus and Flora and the myth of Chiron A legend tells that Cyanus, the boy with whom the goddess Flora fell in love, was found dead in a field next to a wreath of cornflowers, so the goddess, in honor of her beloved, gave the flowers the name Cyanus. In Greek mythology, the flower is dear to Chiron, the centaur son of Cronus, known for his skills in archery, medicine and music. One day Chiron was wounded in the leg by a poisoned arrow shot by Heracles and managed to save himself by medicating himself with cornflowers, the properties of which were discovered by him on that occasion.There are several species of cornflower the best known is the common cornflower. There is the mountain Centaura typical of the Alps over 1900 meters, the Centaura macrocephala or cornflower with a big head and the Centaura moschata or ambretta. To have an excellent growth of this plant, sowing is usually started in spring, in March or in April. First, it is sown in the nursery and then transplanted. It is advisable to sow the cornflower directly at home because most of the time it suffers from transplanting. As for the sowing of cornflower in pots or flower beds, once you have chosen suitable containers and or spaces, you should first place gravel or shards on the bottom to allow the water to drain. Then the soft soil and seeds should be inserted. To fully recreate the natural habitat of the cornflower it would be advisable to use a siliceous or calcareous substrate with rather low nutritional values ​​and neutral pH. Its flowering can extend until late autumn and does not need pruning or special shelters. Its intense blue colors and its elegance are known to all and having it in your home or garden or on the balconies is certainly an added value: the cornflower has delicate petals and an enviable stem that communicates lightness.