Cornflower Pink Ball (Centaurea cyanus) – clusters of pink blooms on tall green stems

Cornflower Pink Ball

£2.30
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Cornflower Pink Ball (Centaurea cyanus) – clusters of pink blooms on tall green stems
RHS Plants for PollinatorsBeginner friendly

Cornflower Pink Ball

Centaurea cyanus 'Pink Ball' — soft rosy-pink colour form

3 reviews

Soft, shaggy, fully double cornflowers in warm rose-pink and salmon — the romantic blush cornflower for cottage borders and cutting bouquets.

£2.30

Free UK delivery on seed orders over £40

Dispatched from our Norfolk farm by Royal Mail, usually within one working day.

Your growing year

Sow, plant out and flowering months for this variety

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
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Oct
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Dec
Sow
Plant out
In flower
SowPlant outIn flower

At a glance

Height
75–90cm
Spread
30cm
Spacing
30cm
Position
Full sun
Colour
Pink
Seeds per packet
200
Soil
Lean, well-drained — no manure or compost; poor soil produces strongest stems
Grow guide How to grow Cornflower Pink Ball Read the full guide →

About this variety

Fully double shaggy heads in warm rose-pink, softer and more candyfloss than the family usually manages. Alongside roses and blush-toned things it is one of the easiest ways to get long-stemmed pink into a summer jug.

The shade is not uniform, and that is worth expecting rather than being disappointed by. Some plants come out closer to salmon, others to deeper rose, and a row gives you a natural spread across the range. It looks well in a cottage planting and it is a nuisance if you need twenty matched stems for an event, in which case cut over several days and sort as you go.

Stems last five to seven days in water and the plant keeps producing as long as you keep taking. The petals are edible and hold their colour better than the darker cornflowers when dried, which makes them useful for cake work. Watch for mildew on the lower leaves from late July. It is disfiguring rather than fatal, and cutting the plant hard usually clears it.

Plant alongside

Chosen by us, not by an algorithm

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 →
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S
Stephanie Cheek
Great seeds

Received my seeds sowed them straight away and left them in my greenhouse. Within a week they had germinated.Very pleased.

l
laura
I can’t wait to sow these seeds

I can’t wait to sow these seeds. Thank you for always quick delivery and an easy to use website when purchasing

T
Tamsin Wilson

Very excited to see how these grow. Excellent packaging and speedy delivery.