How to Grow Bachelor Button Flowers

Growing Bachlor Buttons in Your Home Flower Garden

The versatile Bachelor Button flower has many uses. Growing these flowers in your garden result in an attractive display. They make great cut flowers for indoor vases and floral displays. And, gentlemen wear them on the lapel of their suit. This guide on “How to Grow Bachelor Button Flowers” will help you to have a profusion of blooms so you can display them in a wide range of creative ways.

Bachelor Buttons are also called Cornflower. Did you know, they are known by yet another name? They are also called the “Boutonniere” flower. That’s because the small, one-inch flowers are perfect for buttonholes on suits. Years ago, they were the rage for boutonnieres.

The flowers are most commonly a bright blue. Other flower colors include: white, pink, lavender, red, maroon, and rose.

Bachelor Button flowers grow on sparse, thin stems. In addition to boutonnieres, they are also good in fresh flower arrangements or dried. They are frequent members of floral bouquets.

Bachelor buttons put on a nice display, when grown in masses, and look great in cottage gardens.

Bachelor buttons attract butterflies.

Flowers Bloom: Spring to Summer

Plant Height: up to 3 feet.

Other Names: Cornflower, Boutonniere Flower

Annual, Centaurea cyanus

Bachelor Button Plant Propagation

The plants are grown from seed. Directly sow bachelor button seeds into your flower garden. Or, start seeds indoors for transplanting later. If planting outdoors, sow Bachelor Button seeds early in the spring. For transplants sow them indoors about four weeks before the last frost. Bachelor Button seeds can be sowed in the fall, especially in warmer areas. Fall plantings should be protected from extreme cold.

Days to Germination: 8 – 21 days.

How to Grow Bachelor Button Flower Plants

Gardening books will tell you that when growing Bachelor Buttons, they should be planted in full sun. But this gardener can tell you from experience, that they grow well on a slightly shaded side of the house, too. While we suggest you strive to provide them with full sun, a little shade should not hurt their growth.

The plants will do well in average soils and tolerate dry soil conditions. Soil should drain well.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer once a month.

Water the plants during the hot, dry summer months.

Keep young plants well-weeded. Then, mulch around the plants to keep weeds down and help retain soil moisture.

Once your plants are established, they will produce a burst of flowers, then slow down their production. Flowers will continue at a slow, regular pace even after a light frost.

While they are annuals, the plants are somewhat hardy. Growth may slow as the weather gets colder. But they often survive a light fall freeze.

Garden tip: Deadhead spent blooms to prolong the blooming period.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.8 – 7.2.

Also, See:

Plant Problems – causes and cures

Insects and Plant Disease

Bachelor Button plants are somewhat resistant to insects and disease. They can get blights and mildew in wet weather. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.