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Centaurea montana

great blue-bottle

great blue-bottle

© RHS 2002

43 suppliers

  • Other common names great blue-bottle
    mountain bluet

    mountain centaury
    perennial cornflower

    see more

  • Family Asteraceae

  • Genus Centaurea may be annuals, perennials or subshrubs, with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and showy thistle-like flowers-heads, often with enlarged outer florets

  • Details C. montana is a rhizomatous perennial with simple or lobed leaves, hairy beneath, and blue flower-heads 5cm across, reddish in the centre, from late spring to summer

  • Plant range Mts of Europe

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Spreading / Branched

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H7

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect South-facing or North-facing or East-facing or West-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Clay

    Clay

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained

  • SoilLoam, Chalk, Sand, Clay

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.1-0.5 metres

  • Ultimate spread 0.5-1 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 2-5 years

How to grow

Cultivation Best grown in moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, needs staking

Propagation Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or propagate by division in spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types Flower borders and beds Cut Flowers Cottage & Informal Garden Wildlife Gardens Prairie Planting Coastal

How to care

Pruning Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering

Pests Generally pest free

Diseases May be affected by powdery mildews

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