A close-up of vibrant blue and pink Cornflower Blue Ball blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, thriving in a grassy field—these cut-and-come-again flowers are a beautiful nectar source for bees beneath a partly cloudy sky.
A close-up of vibrant blue and pink Cornflower Blue Ball blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, thriving in a grassy field—these cut-and-come-again flowers are a beautiful nectar source for bees beneath a partly cloudy sky.A vibrant field of Cornflower Blue Ball from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd blooms under a bright sky. Trees and a white greenhouse are visible in the distance, and these flowers offer excellent nectar for bees.A hand holds a vibrant Cornflower Blue Ball bloom by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, with a ladybug in its center. These cut-and-come-again flowers are great for bees. Green leaves and a wooden post appear in the background.Bright blue Cornflower Blue Ball blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd stand out among green stems. Grown from seeds, these cut-and-come-again flowers are a vivid nectar source for bees.Cornflower Blue Ball seeds from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd produce bright blue blooms with green stems, attracting bees. Wildflowers and green trees fill the background beneath a partly cloudy sky.The Cornflower Blue Ball by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features a yellow circular badge with a stylized black and white bee and the words RHS PLANTS FOR POLLINATORS, showing it's ideal as a nectar source for bees.A cluster of vibrant blue blooms grown from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd’s Cornflower Blue Ball seeds, mixed with pale pink and white flowers—an ideal nectar source for bees amid lush greenery under an overcast sky.Cornflower Blue Ball by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features vibrant blue blossoms on green stems, creating a colorful meadow. These cut-and-come-again flowers thrive under cloudy skies and provide excellent nectar for bees.A cluster of vibrant blue Cornflower Blue Ball blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features spiky green stems and buds that flourish outdoors, providing a cut-and-come-again nectar source for bees as they bloom in stages.
Annual Pollinator

Cornflower Blue Ball

Centaurea cyanus 'Blue Ball' — the definitive cornflower; cyanus = blue in Greek

£2.30approx. 200 seeds

The definitive cornflower — masses of fully double, ruffled, electric azure-blue flowers on tall silvery stems. The cottage garden classic with edible petals.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
75–90cm
Spread
30cm
Spacing
30cm
Position
Full sun
Soil
Lean, well-drained — no manure or compost; poor soil produces strongest stems
Grow guide
How to grow Cornflower Blue Ball
Read the full guide →
About this variety

The cornflower that named the colour. Dense, fully double, ruffled heads in an electric azure that looks lit from inside, on silver-green stems. If you grow only one cornflower it should be this one.

It is a genuine cut-and-come-again plant. The more you take, the more it makes, and a short row will keep a jug filled from early summer to the frosts. Stop cutting for a fortnight and it sets seed and shuts down, which is the commonest way people lose a cornflower crop in July.

Two honest notes. The doubling that makes the flower substantial also crowds the centre, so it is less use to bees than the single wild form; if pollinators are the priority, grow some wild cornflower alongside it. And at this height the stems lean after heavy rain unless there is something to hold them, so run a net or some twiggy sticks through the row early rather than after it has gone over. Self-sown seedlings drift back towards smaller, simpler flowers within a couple of generations.

Plant alongside

Cornflower Blue Ball pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics

Ammi majus
Ammi majus
£2.20
Cornflower Snowman
Cornflower Snowman
£2.30
Cornflower Black Ball
Cornflower Black Ball
£2.30

RHS Plants for Pollinators

This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →