Cornflower is a herbaceous plant with beautiful flowers of blue, yellow, white, pink and other very different shades. Since ancient times, the plant has been revered for its beauty and healing properties.
Cornflower is a beautifully herbaceous flowering plant with erect or recumbent stems reaching a height of 120 cm. It is no longer possible to know for certain who gave the name to this flower: according to one version, it was named so by the ancient Greek physician and naturalist Hippocrates. To date, 500 different species of this flower are known, common in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America. The varieties differ from each other in the shape of inflorescence baskets, marginal flowers and their shade.
Growing features
In addition to the classic blue cornflower, amateur gardeners grow pink, yellow, white, lilac flowers and a large number of cornflowers of various shades. But preference is still given to perennials, since they are unpretentious, multiply easily and do not get sick. Such a plant can grow in one place for up to 10 years, giving abundant color and seeds. Low-growing species are framed by flower beds, ridges, mixborders and garden paths. Tall varieties are used as background plants in the background.
A cornflower is planted in mid-spring in warm soil. To do this, prepare sections of rhizomes with a bud, cuttings with a section of rhizomes, seedlings and root suckers. Annuals with a stalk root reproduce only by seeds, which are sown in the ground in early May. Most varieties thrive in fertile, humus-rich soil with neutral acidity. Watering requires moderate. Before flowering, they are fed to obtain a rich and lush color. And cornflowers stand perfectly in the cut, except that, having blossomed already in the water, they look a little paler.
Where is the plant applied
The blue cornflower is revered in folk tales and epics. Since ancient times, this plant has symbolized holiness, purity, friendliness and politeness. Cornflowers were used as an attribute of the wedding ceremony, and in case of illnesses of children, a font was made from them. Animals eat it with pleasure, and insects feast on the pollen of this plant. A decoction of flowers is used in industrial production for dyeing wool and woolen products.
In folk medicine, cornflower is used to treat colds, diseases of the eyes, kidneys, bladder and liver. Many traditional medicines prescribed for skin and vascular diseases, trauma, rheumatism, gout and polyarthritis are based on the action of this plant. Broths and infusions of cornflower are indispensable for disruptions in the menstrual cycle and problems with lactation. In cosmetology, using cornflower extract, they treat inflammation and irritation of the skin, eliminate dryness and fight enlarged pores.
