Cornflower Snowman
Cornflower Snowman
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Cornflower 'Snowman' Seeds
While we all love the classic blue cornflower, 'Snowman' brings a whole new level of sophistication. It produces fully double, ruffled blooms in a pure, snowy white that contrasts beautifully with its silver-grey, woolly stems.
This is a florist's essential. The pure white buttons act as "highlights" in a bouquet, lifting darker colours and adding a fresh, meadow-like feel to wedding arrangements. It is incredibly easy to grow, tolerant of poor soil, and blooms tirelessly from June until the first frosts if you keep picking.
Read our full UK growing guide for Cornflowers here: Cornflowers in Your Cottage Garden: Growing Guide for UK ClimateRead More
🌿 Understanding the Plant
Cornflower is a Hardy Annual.
It completes its life cycle in one season. It is one of the toughest annuals you can grow, capable of surviving a British winter as a seedling.
The "Autumn Jump-Start": Because it is hardy, the secret to getting huge plants with hundreds of flowers is to sow in September. The plants establish over winter and flower weeks earlier than spring-sown ones.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Cornflowers hate root disturbance, so direct sowing is best.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors in Autumn (Sept) or Spring (March-May). Scatter seeds onto raked soil and cover lightly (3mm deep). Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They need full sun. They thrive in any well-drained soil. They actually flower better in "poor" soil—if you add too much manure, you get lots of leafy stems but fewer flowers.
Care While Growing:
Support: 'Snowman' grows tall (90cm). In a windy garden, give them some support (netting or canes) to stop the stems flopping over.
Deadhead: Snip off the dead flower heads regularly to force the plant to produce new buds.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Centaurea cyanus |
| Common Name | Cornflower 'Snowman' |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy - to -20°C) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 75cm - 90cm (Tall) |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | 👰 Wedding Bouquets 🐝 Pollinators ✂️ Cut Flowers ⚪ White Gardens |
| Seed Count | Approx. 200 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
White Cornflowers are the ultimate "mixer." Try these classic combinations:
- ⚫ Cornflower 'Black Ball': The Monochrome Look. Planting 'Snowman' with 'Black Ball' creates a sophisticated, designer look (Black & White). It is a favourite combination for high-end florists.
- 🎀 Cosmos 'Sensation Mix': The Cottage Jumble. Mixing white cornflowers with the pinks and carmines of Cosmos creates a soft, romantic, frothy border that hums with bees.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in autumn or spring. Flowers mid-summer to autumn.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Edible Flowers
Cornflower petals are 100% edible! They have a very mild clove-like flavour. Use the pure white petals to decorate wedding cakes or sprinkle on summer salads for a clean, fresh look.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This plant is a biodiversity champion. Centaurea cyanus is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, providing high-sugar nectar for bees and butterflies.
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