Close-up of vibrant red and carmine-pink Cornflower Red Boy blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, growing among green stems and buds in a field, with foreground flowers in sharp focus and a softly blurred background.
Close-up of vibrant red and carmine-pink Cornflower Red Boy blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, growing among green stems and buds in a field, with foreground flowers in sharp focus and a softly blurred background.A close-up of Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd’s Cornflower Red Boy shows vibrant red and carmine-pink blooms among green stems, with a few blue and purple flowers and buds in the background.A field of blooming wildflowers featuring Cornflower Red Boy by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, with carmine-pink, red and purple petals on green stems, set beneath a slightly cloudy sky.Cornflower Red Boy by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features pink wildflowers with round, fluffy carmine-pink petals growing among tall green grass. Closed buds appear nearby, with blurred trees and a cloudy sky in the background for a natural vibe.A field of tall green stems topped with carmine-pink blooms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd’s Cornflower Red Boy, mixed with blue wildflowers, under a cloudy sky and trees in the background.A close-up of a wildflower field featuring vibrant carmine-pink flowers and scattered Cornflower Red Boy blossoms from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, set among green stems under a cloudy sky for a lively, natural look.A yellow circular badge with a black and white bee and the text RHS PLANTS FOR POLLINATORS, ideal for showcasing Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd's Cornflower Red Boy or other edible flower seeds.
Annual Pollinator

Cornflower Red Boy

Centaurea cyanus 'Red Boy' — ruby-red selected form of a naturally blue species

£2.30approx. 200 seeds

Rich, deep carmine-pink ruby cornflowers like crushed velvet — the warm-toned berry sister of the cornflower family, with edible petals and exceptional pollinator value.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
60–80cm
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 Red Boy
Read the full guide →
About this variety

The name oversells it, and the flower is better for it. This is not a fire-engine red but a deep carmine-ruby, a berry tone that reads ruby in strong sun and shifts towards crushed velvet in softer light.

That warmth is what it brings to a border that has gone all blues and greens. It sits with the apricot and blush end of the cutting patch far better than a true scarlet would, and it is one of the few cornflowers that works in a warm-toned bouquet rather than a cool one.

Everything else is standard for a tall double Ball cornflower: silver-green stems, feathery foliage, generous production for as long as you keep cutting. The petals are edible and hold their ruby colour unusually well when dried, so they are worth saving for cake work. Sow it in autumn if the ground is workable. September-sown plants come through the winter and make substantially bigger, more branched specimens the following year than anything started in spring.

Plant alongside

Cornflower Red Boy pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics

Ammi majus
Ammi majus
£2.20
Echinacea Purple Coneflower
Echinacea Purple Coneflower
£2.50
Cosmos Apricotta
Cosmos Apricotta
£2.50

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 →