About
Centaurea montana is a perennial plant that forms dense mats and typically reaches a height of approximately 45 cm. It features simple or lobed leaves that are hairy on the underside. From late spring through summer, it produces blue flower heads that measure around 5 cm in diameter, each with a reddish center.
About the genus
Centaurea includes annuals, perennials, and subshrubs, characterized by simple or pinnately lobed foliage and prominent flower heads resembling thistles, frequently featuring enlarged outer florets.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- Mountains of Europe
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Best grown in moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, needs staking
- Pruning
- Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or propagate by division in spring or autumn
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews