Friday, June 4, 2010

Perennial Bachelor Buttons

Last year a friend of mine got sick of her Bachelor Buttons, also known as Centaurea montana. She didn't dead head them or divide them, so they grew out of control. Hating to see a pretty plant go to waste, I took some off her hands and put them in my garden. They like a sunny spot with some shade during the day and might look wilted after a hot afternoon, but don't worry, they are great plants if kept under control not to mention very lovely.


Readers know I love to take photos of my flowers and I really like the one above of an emerging bud. Those yellow dots are aphids of some sort. Below is what the entire plant looks like, this being about 2-3 foot tall and a couple feet wide (they can get wider if not cut back).

Word of caution, once planted, these plants aren't the easiest to get rid of, some people calling them invasive. Their roots grow deep and self seeds readily. Make sure to deadhead to prevent self sowing, and cut back after bloom as you might get a rebloom in the fall.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those are pretty! I enjoy looking at the photographs you have taken.

Jennifer Kirby said...

Thanks for reading!

Keeping up with the Minnesota Joneses said...

Do you have any extra of these this spring? They are just beautiful!