Also called cornflower, these vivid blue (and sometimes pink or white) blooms are cottage garden classics. They're tough, cold-tolerant, and beloved by pollinators.
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Sunlight
Full sun, 6+ hrs
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Water
Moderate, drought-tolerant
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Type
Annual (cool-season)
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Soil
Average, well-drained
Growing Basics
Bachelor's buttons are cool-season annuals in Minnesota. They bloom in spring and early summer, then slow down in peak heat.
Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours daily).
Soil: Average, well-drained soil. They don't need rich conditions â too much fertility leads to floppy plants.
Transplanting: Cold-tolerant â can go in the ground a few weeks before your last frost date. Handle roots gently at planting time.
Watering: Water regularly until established. Once growing, they're fairly drought-tolerant. Avoid overwatering â soggy soil is their main enemy.
Fertilization: A light application at planting is all they need. Skip the heavy feeding.
Taproot Note â Important!
Bachelor's buttons have a taproot and don't like having their roots disturbed. These plants were grown directly in their sale pots â just plant the whole root ball as-is. No need to separate or loosen the roots.
Dig a hole, slip the whole thing in, and backfill gently. They'll take off from there.
Other Tips
Deadhead to encourage more blooms, but leave a few spent flowers at the end of the season if you want them to self-seed next year.
Taller varieties (18â30") may benefit from staking in windy spots.
Excellent cut flower â blooms last well in a vase.
