Cornflower Blue: The Story Behind Bachelor's Buttons

Few flowers evoke childhood memories like cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus). Their soothing blue blooms—whether in gardens, meadows, or a grandmother's pressed collection—carry folklore, history, and a touch of magic.

A Personal Memory

As a child, I met a woman in a blindingly yellow taffeta skirt who exclaimed over my "cornflower blue eyes." I protested: corn is yellow! My grandmother, whose eyes matched mine, simply smiled. That moment—and the twinkle in my grandmother's eyes—cemented my love for this flower.

Botany and Names

Centaurea cyanus is an easily grown annual with predominant blue flowers (also pink, white). "Bachelor's button" refers to its button-like shape and the tradition of bachelors wearing it when courting blue-eyed sweethearts—or as a luck charm. In England, it naturalized in grain fields, earning the name "hurtsickle" for its tough stems that blunted harvest tools.

Folklore and Uses

• Eye remedies: Ancient herbalists used cornflower decoctions for eye inflammations (doctrine of signatures: blue flowers for blue eyes).
• Medicinal claims: Contains tannins with astringent properties; historically steeped in wine for fevers, though modern evidence is lacking.
• Culinary: Edible petals garnish salads and desserts.

Growing Cornflowers

Sow directly in early spring; they thrive in poor soil and full sun. Deadhead for prolonged bloom. They naturalize readily, creating "blue lakes" in meadows. My mother grew them everywhere—front, back, vegetable garden—with occasional pink or white surprises.

Whether you call them cornflowers or bachelor's buttons, their blue is unforgettable. As Georgia O'Keeffe said, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it is your world for the moment."

(Editor's Note: Originally published March 3, 2009. Comments welcome; original authors may not respond promptly.)