Cornflower Seed Pack
Centaurea cyanus
The bluest flower in Britain, blooming by mid-May.
1,000 seeds per pack · one-off purchase, no subscription
Buy now- 1,000 seeds, hand-packed in a labelled inner packet with a printed quick-start card
- Dispatched within 1–3 business days, tracked, to any UK address
- Germination guarantee: if they don't sprout, we send them again
Why grow it
- Sown in autumn, flowers from mid-May — up to six weeks ahead of a spring sowing, on bigger, stronger plants
- Straight into the ground, no pots, no greenhouse — cornflowers are fully hardy and prefer not to be transplanted
- Bees love the open blue flowers, and the stems cut beautifully for a jam-jar posy
When to sow
Sow September to early October, direct where they'll flower — blue by mid-May.
| Scotland & the North | Sow now — early to mid September (Scotland's window closes ~2 weeks earlier) |
|---|---|
| Midlands, Wales & Northern Ireland | Sow September to early October |
| South of England | Sow September to late September (mildest South West: into early October) |
Growing questions
Will the seedlings really survive a British winter?
Yes — cornflowers are fully hardy annuals. The seedlings overwinter as low tufts and take frost in their stride. What they dislike is waterlogged clay; if your soil stays wet and sticky for days after rain, start them in modules instead, or choose a raised or free-draining spot.
How do I sow them?
Directly where they'll flower: rake the soil loose, sow about 1 cm deep in rows or scattered patches, and water once. September's warm soil and autumn rain do most of the work. Thin the seedlings to about 15–20 cm apart once they're up.
When exactly will they flower?
From an early-September sowing, expect first blue around mid-May, with the show running into midsummer. The same seed sown in March typically starts in late June — that's the six-week head start in practice.
Do they make good cut flowers?
Very good — long wiry stems, and cutting encourages more buds. Autumn-sown plants are bushier and give noticeably more stems per plant than spring-sown ones.
