Perennial Cornflower

Centaurea montana

Perennial Cornflower is a perennial for edging, mid-border, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam, sandy soil or chalk, flowering May, Jun, Jul.

Where to use it in a border

At around 45 cm, it sits best along the front edge, where a low, spreading habit reads best. Give it about 50 cm of room to spread, roughly 2 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 3a to 8b and rated H7 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.

It appears in our lists of full sun, clay soil, sandy soil, chalk soil, pollinator-friendly plants, pet-safe plants.

Border Builder uses Perennial Cornflower's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.

Flowering through the year

Worth knowing

• Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.

Good companions

Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:

• Apple 'Bramley's Seedling'for height behind it
• Apple 'Cox's Orange Pippin'for height behind it
• Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline'for height behind it
• Blazing Starfor height behind it
• Bloody cranesbillto edge in front
• Blueberryfor height behind it

Garden styles

Cottage garden Wildlife garden