Any idea what this is?
We moved to a new house in the scottish borders in late summer last year and had a bed filled with these slightly alien looking flowers growing en masse like weeds. The leaves on the plant all became coated with a powdery mildew towards the end of the summer.
Does anyone have any ideas what they are?
I'm a bit of a gardening newbie so my knowledge of plants is still growing so any help is appreciated.
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I think it's Centaurea montana. It think it's a type of cornflower.
I have lots of it growing in my garden too. It's nice till it gets too high and then falls over
Centuarea, philmcc17. We had loads of them in our garden when I was a child. They grew everywhere so I thought they were a weed.! Saw some for sale in a GC last week. I think they're good for bees.
A fair description Disponded
In the sticks near Peterborough
Another name for them is Knapweed.
Perfect - Thank you all!!!
Knapweed is usually applied to Centaurea nigra, (Lesser Knapweed), or Centaurea scabiosa, (Greater Knapweed)
In the sticks near Peterborough
Centaurea montana. if they get mildew, shear the lot off and water well and they will regrow.
I don't think Centaurea montana is native to the UK. The annual cornflower is Centaurea cyanus
This is as Disponded IDd. a perennial from the mountains of southern Europe
In the sticks near Peterborough
It's a perennial cornflower but I find it falls foul of powdery mildew
It's native to the mountain meadows of continental Europe ...... our cornflowers are annuals 