How to grow centaury from seed

 

The scientific name of Centaury plant is Centaurium erythraea and the plant is a lovely little wildflower that is native to North Africa and Europe. The Centaury plant has become naturalized across much of the United States, most especially in the western United States. Continue reading to learn more about the plant and also see if the plant is for you.

Centaury Plant Info

The Centaury plant is also known as mountain pink, the common centaury flower is a low-growing annual that reaches heights of six to twelve inches. The Centaury plant consists of lance-shaped leaves on erect stems growing from small, basal rosettes. Clusters of petite, five-petaled, summer-blooming flowers are pinkish-lavender with prominent, salmon-yellow stamens. The flowers actually close at midday on sunny days. The Centaury plant is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones one through nine. Remember that this non-native plant can be rambunctious and may become aggressive in some areas.

 

How to Grow Centaury Plants

The Centaury flower plants actually perform best in partial shade and light, sandy, well-drained soil. Make sure you avoid rich, wet soil. The Centaury plants are very easy to grow by planting the seeds after all danger of frost has passed in spring. In warm climates the Centaury seeds can be planted in fall or early spring. Just sprinkle the Centaury seeds on the surface of the prepared soil, and then cover the seeds very lightly. Watch for the Centaury seeds to germinate within 9 weeks, and then thin the seedlings to a distance of eight to twelve inches to prevent overcrowding and disease. Make sure you keep the soil lightly moist, but never soggy, until the plants are established. Thereafter, the centaury flower plants require little care. You can water deeply when the soil is dry, but never allow the soil to remain soggy. You can remove the flowers as soon as they wilt to control unrestrained reseeding. And that’s it! As you can see, growing centaury plants is really easy and the blooms will add another level of beauty to the woodland or wildflower garden.