Practical
Plants

Centaurea melitensis

Maltese Star Thistle

an annual member of the Centaurea genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is used in the treatment of the kidneys[6].

Environment

Range
Mediterranean region, eastwards to Greece and Tunisia. A not infrequent casual in Britain[2].
Habitat
Wasteplaces and roadsides[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, 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. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown in situ in the spring, and an autumn swing in situ might also be worth trying.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We do not have information on this species, but the following notes are based on the closely related C. solstitialis. 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 good bee and butterfly plant the flowers are rich in nectar[3]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

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