Description

Common Centaury description:

Delicate, creamy pink flowers are held high on stems arising from miniature green rosettes in late spring to late summer.

The English poet William Wordsworth had Centaury flowers etched on his tomb. [1]

A pollinator friendly plant including bees.
Good for wildlife in general.
Can tolerate a coastal aspect with a certain amount of salt laden air.

How easy is it to grow:
This is good for a wildlife area, border or rough area, but it does need a soil that is well drained, so do not try if you’ve got a clay or heavy soil. In the first year it just produces leaves and then in the second year it flowers and tends to die, but it should reseed itself and continue on.

We have plenty more wildflowers for sale – many are easy to grow.

Other common names: European Centaury, Century, Lesser Centaury, Feverwort, Bitter Herb or Bitterwort.

Botanical name: Centaurium erythraea

The best position in the garden:

Prefers sun.

What type of soil:

Well drained soil, also tolerates chalky soil.

How much moisture:

Normal moisture or dryish stony.

Hardiness and, or, lifespan:

Hardy but tends to be biennial.

Care and maintenance:

When newly planted always keep it watered until the roots have grown down and it is able to find its own moisture.

Size of plant:

Height 20 cm.
Spread 10 cm.

Planting density – to calculate how many plants are required in a planting scheme:

Allow 100 plants per square metre.

Buy wildflowers for your container, raised bed, rockery, patio, borders and wildlife garden.

Reference: [1] Virtual Hebrides