Mountain Cornflower – Centaurea Montana – Alien Weed

I love when I find a little unexpected bit of color hiding in one of the gardens. When I saw this beautiful but alien-looking plant, I thought it was a form of artichoke or thistle. A Mother’s Day trip to Mom’s local greenhouse, though, showed me that the plant was actually Centaurea Montana, or Mountain Bluet.

I have a few small plants around the bed, but based on some of the images Google brought up, the plants can get quite large. I may consider transplanting one to an area with more sun to see how it grows. If you have any tips on growing this lovely plant, please let me know!

*** This site is comprised solely of the opinions of its author, Stacey Morgan Smith. She works to promote gardening and tourism in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, from Roanoke to the Potomac River.***