Centaurea montana (Syn: Mountain Bluet, Perennial Bachelor Button, Mountain Cornflower) Zones: 3-8/Height: 18-24″/Sun-Part Shade/Consistent Moisture/Blooms: Late Spring-Early Summer/Possibly susceptible to powdery mildew/Divide in fall
Every spring, one of our local garden clubs hosts a plant sale in our neighborhood and I love the novelty of literally walking down the block and coming home with a box full of plants I’ve never tried before. Last spring we added an itty bitty Centaurea montana to our garden because I had seen them blooming in other people’s yards and was having flower envy. This year, it’s tripled in size (talk about a growth spurt! In fact, watch out because reports from other gardeners say that it can be invasive) and is covered in bright blue bachelor button-like flowers. I’ve since added another and will probably divide them both this fall because the best thing about this perennial, to me, is that it provides gorgeous color in the garden at a time when the spring bulbs are fading and we’re transitioning into the peonies and roses. Plus that pretty blue looks divine at dusk when you’re taking that last stroll of the day through the garden.
