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by Brian Schippers
(Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

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My step mom is really interested in Identifying this flower because she would like to plant some I don’t have any information on it which I know will make this a lot harder but I hope you can help.

Hi Brian – at least you sent a picture! This is Centurea montana, but this one is unusual in that the flowers are generally bright blue, and in that form is known as Cornflower.

These are tough perennials; plant in full sun, and they can take a lot of abuse in the soil type you can grow them in; if your soil is extremely acid, use some dolomite lime to sweeten it, but other than that, they are reliable and perform well in any climate.

You can find out more about the blue type on Daveès Garden Website here and this one is apparently called Amethyst in Snow.

So now you know!
Jacki