Bachelor’s Button Guide: How to Grow Bachelor Button Flowers

Bachelor's button (Centaurea cyanus) is a lightly fragrant, self-seeding wildflower native to Europe and Asia. Also known as cornflower, the most common variety boasts bright blue flowers and tall, sturdy stems. However, there are several varieties and unique cultivars with colors ranging from pink and white to purple and black. Depending on the variety, fully mature bachelor button plants can reach heights of three feet or more.

Bachelor buttons make for excellent cut flowers as well as a stunning addition to garden beds. Their petals are non-toxic and can be used as edible flowers in cooking or baking.

Bachelor's button has picked up many common names over the centuries—”cornflowers” being the most common due to their tendency to pop up in the cornfields of their native Europe. However, this naming device has led to some confusion over whether or not bachelor's button is an annual or perennial plant. This confusion has to do with a plant in the same genus that looks similar and is also commonly known as cornflower—Centaurea montana.

While both plants have bright blue flowers, there are big differences in how Centaurea montana and Centaurea cyanus should be grown and cared for. Centaurea montana (sometimes called mountain cornflower or mountain bluet) is a perennial and Centaurea cyanus (bachelor's button) is an annual. When buying bachelor button seeds, check the package for the plant's scientific name to confirm whether it’s an annual or perennial plant.

Starting bachelor's button from seed is fairly simple.

1. 1. Plant seeds in late winter or early spring. The best time to sow your seeds will depend on your USDA Hardiness Zone, but these plants thrive in zones 2–11. In general, it's safe to sow bachelor’s button seeds once you've had your last frost. They'll bloom from early summer until the frost returns.
2. 2. Sow seeds in a location with full sun. After choosing a place that will receive plenty of direct sunlight, sow seeds in well-draining soil and lightly cover them with a half-inch of topsoil.
3. 3. Keep your seeds moist. Lightly water your seeds immediately after planting them. Keep your seeds thoroughly watered during the germination phase.
4. 4. Add a layer of mulch. Once they’ve matured, add a layer of mulch around the base of the seedlings to help reduce water evaporation and the amount of water they’ll need.

Bachelor button flowers are versatile and fairly low-maintenance.

1. 1. Deadhead plants to control their spread. Bachelor buttons are self-seeding plants that will spread wildly when left to their own devices. Deadheading, or thinning, your plants will help reduce the likeliness of the plant to self-seed. Save some of the spent buds to replant next year.
2. 2. Grow vegetables near your bachelor’s button. If you're growing vegetables, bachelor's button will help attract beneficial insects like pollinators, which will help your fruits and vegetables thrive.
3. 3. Consider adding companion plants. These flowers will look even more stunning when planted near other flowering plants that require similar conditions and care. Consider companion planting bachelor’s buttons near marigolds, geraniums, zinnias, snapdragons, black-eyed Susans, bee balm, or coneflowers.

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