Common Knapweed

Common Name: Common Knapweed

Latin Name: Centaurea nigra

Ultimate Height: 1 metre

Flower Colour: Purple

Type: Perennial

Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand, Chalk, Acidic, Akaline, Neutral

Flowering times: July-September 

History, uses and notes:

Common Knapweed is a tough but beautiful wildflower, much beloved by our pollinating friend, that can be found on roadside verges and clifftops!

Young people would often play a love divination game with Common Knapweed, pulling out the flowers to identify whether love was on it's way.

Similarly to the Cornflower, they are part of the Centaurea genus which are highly popular with bees due to their high nectar levels.

Common Knapweed will add a beautiful purple to your wildflower garden and help #bringthebeesback

Description:

The bright pink-purple 'flowers' of Common Knapweed are actually composite flower heads made up of many small 'florets' (tiny flowers), surrounded by a crown of long, ragged, pink bracts (leaf-like structures). It has deeply divided, oblong leaves.

Bee loving Common Knapweed!

Common Knapweed buds about to flower alongside one in flower. You can also see the oblong leaves here.

Common Knapweed came up second year in our wildflower meadow at our Beebomb lab!