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Common Name: Mountain Cornflower

General Information

Centaurea montana is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.45 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe.

Habitat

Mountain woodland margins and meadows[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[, ]. Prefers a moist well-drained fertile soil and a sunny position[]. Tolerates dry, low fertility and alkaline soils[].
Plants are hardy to at least -20°c[].
A very ornamental plant[], there are some named varieties[]. The plants have creeping rhizomes and form spreading patches[].
A good bee plant[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Mountain cornflower is seldom used in modern herbalism, though it does still have a reputation in parts of Europe as a wash for tired eyes[]. It is considered to be most effective on blue eyes, great plantain (Plantago majus) being used for brown eyes[].
The dried flowers are antitussive, astringent, weakly diuretic, emmenagogue, ophthalmic, very mildly purgative and tonic[]. An infusion can be used as a treatment for dropsy, constipation, as a mouthwash for bleeding gums and as an eye bath for conjunctivitis[].

Other Uses

Can be used as a ground cover plant in a sunny position[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in August in a greenhouse, overwintered under cover, and planted out in spring.
Division in autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring. This should be done at least once every three years in order to maintain the plants vigour.
Basal cuttings in spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 5 - 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.