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Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus
Bachelor's Button blooms from May through July.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Bachelor's Button
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 2–11. Expect it to reach about 2.3 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Bachelor's Button
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Bachelor's Button into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in April.
Comes in 5 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Bachelor's Button
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
A peer-reviewed meadow study ranked it the top annual for nectar sugar, about 896 micrograms per floral unit per day, supplying about 33 percent of nectar in annual plantings. per PLOS ONE
Garden favorite or invasive weed
It reseeds freely, a welcome self-sower in a managed bed but listed as invasive in Georgia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Deadhead before seed drop and check your local list. per Invasive Plant Atlas and Tennessee Invasive
Edible petals
The petals are edible, a common garnish scattered fresh or dried over salads, desserts, and drinks, and used in herbal tea blends. per NC State and Longwood
Sow in cool weather
It is a cool-season annual that fades as summer heat arrives. Sow in cool soil, early spring or autumn in mild climates, for the best, longest bloom. per NC State
Lean soil, drought tolerant
Thrives in lean, even poor, dry ground, so do not enrich the soil. Rich soil or shade just makes stems leggy and floppy. It is genuinely drought tolerant. per NC State
Seed heads feed birds
Deadheading prolongs bloom and curbs self-seeding, but the seed heads feed goldfinches. Where it is not invasive, leave a few heads to support songbirds. per NC State and Longwood
What pairs well with Bachelor's Button
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.