Centaurea depressa
an annual or perennial member of the Centaurea genus in the family Compositae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- Genus
- Centaurea
- Life cycle
- annual, perennial
- Height
- 0.3 m
- Fertility
- Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Root - cooked. An agreeable flavour[3][2].
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- W. Asia - Iran and the Caucasus. Naturalized in S.E. Europe[6].
- Habitat
- Fields and roadsides to 2300 metres in S. Europe[6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 7+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow April in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in the late summer in a greenhouse and planted out in the late spring. Division in autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring. This should be done at least once every three years in order to maintain the vigour of the plants. Basal cuttings in spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1][4]. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil and a sunny position[4]. Tolerates dry, low fertility and alkaline soils[4]. A very ornamental plant[1]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[5].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00