Catananche caerulea

Blue Rattle Flower ( Catananche caerulea)

The Blue Flower Rattle ( Catananche caerulea ), also called cupids arrow, is a species of the genus of the rattle Flowers ( Catananche ) in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae).

Features

The Blue rattle flower is a perennial plant that reaches the plant height of 40 to 80 centimeters. The leaves are gray- hairy, linear, entire or three annoying and have 2 to 4 remote teeth. They are up to 15 inches long and almost all basal. The heads are individually stalked long and have a diameter of 3 to 4 centimeters. The stem has scaly leaves. The ray flowers are blue, the middle purple. The bracts are silberhäutig and have a blue midrib, which are inserted at the bottom stems.

Bloom time is from May to July, partly to August.

Occurrence

The Blue rattle flower comes in Southwest Europe and the western Mediterranean before in Garriguen and sparse forests.

Use

The Blue flower rattle is used as an ornamental plant for borders and as a cut flower. It is in culture at least since 1588. There are some varieties. The cultivar ' Alba' has white flowers, 'Major' has larger heads, these are blue-violet and purple in the middle.

Documents

• Eckhart J. Hunter, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd Müller, K. (ed.): Rothmaler Exkursionsflora of Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8.