Cornflower 'Black Ball' Seeds
If you love dark, dramatic flowers, 'Black Ball' is essential. It produces masses of fully double, ruffled blooms in a rich shade of deep chocolate-maroon that looks almost black in certain lights. It stands tall on silvery stems, creating a striking contrast that demands attention.
This variety transforms a standard cottage border into something sophisticated and modern. It creates a stunning "black and white" display when planted with white cosmos or Ammi, and adds depth to hot borders of reds and oranges. Like all cornflowers, it is incredibly easy to grow, tough as old boots, and produces buckets of cut flowers all summer long.
Read our full UK growing guide for Cornflowers here: Cornflowers in Your Cottage Garden: Growing Guide for UK Climate
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Cornflower is a Hardy Annual.
It completes its life cycle in one season. It is a "cool season" flower, meaning it establishes best in the cooler days of spring or autumn.
The "Autumn Secret": While most people sow in spring, the secret to giant plants with hundreds of flowers is to sow in September. These autumn-sown plants establish a huge root system over winter and flower weeks earlier than spring-sown ones.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Cornflowers have a taproot and hate being moved, so direct sowing is best.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors in Autumn (Sept) for the strongest plants, or Spring (March-May) for summer blooms. Scatter seeds onto raked soil and cover lightly (3mm deep). Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They demand **full sun**. They thrive in well-drained soil. Do not over-feed them; rich soil leads to lots of leafy growth but weak stems. They prefer "lean" conditions.
Care While Growing:
Support: 'Black Ball' grows tall (90cm). In windy gardens, give them a little support with twiggy sticks or netting to stop them flopping.
Deadhead: Snip off the dead flower heads regularly to force the plant to keep producing new buds until the frost.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Centaurea cyanus |
| Common Name | Cornflower 'Black Ball' |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy - to -20°C) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 75cm - 90cm (Tall) |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | ✂️ Cut Flowers ⚫ Gothic Themes 🐝 Bees & Butterflies 🥗 Edible Garnish |
| Seed Count | Approx. 200 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
The deep maroon of 'Black Ball' needs light or contrasting partners to stand out:
- ⚪ Cosmos 'Purity': The Monochrome Mix. The pure white saucers of Cosmos create a stark, stylish contrast with the dark buttons of the Cornflower. A florist's favourite combination.
- 🍋 Larkspur 'Limelight Mix': The Zesty Lift. The lime-green and white spikes of Larkspur make the dark maroon of 'Black Ball' look richer and warmer. It prevents the dark flowers from disappearing in the border.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in autumn or spring. Flowers mid-summer to autumn.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Edible Garnish
Cornflower petals are 100% edible! They have a very mild flavour and are perfect for sprinkling over cakes, salads, or floating in summer drinks.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This is a superstar plant for biodiversity. Centaurea cyanus is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, producing high-quality nectar that is easily accessible to bees and butterflies.
- Regular price
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£2.30 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£2.30
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