Purple-eyed flowerheads, each with a ruff of long white florets, form throughout the summer above the clumps of grey-green foliage, creating easy-going groundcover that will thrive in a sunny spot. It's ideal for a more naturalised setting - and the bees and butterflies love it too.
How to care for Centaurea montana Purple Heart:
Stake with brushwood or bamboo canes before the flowers appear. Cut back to the ground after flowering and you may get a second flush of flowers. Lift and divide large clumps every three years in spring.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
0.45m
Eventual spread:
0.6m
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
-
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.