Asteraceae

Centaurea cyanus

Bachelor's Button

Stems erect, slightly hairy, loosely branching. Leaves linear, 1–4 in., lightly coated with gray hairs, entire or slightly lobed. Flower heads bright blue, pink, purple, or white; cup 1/4–1/2 in. high, bell-shaped, with green phyllaries, not spiny. Outer disk flowers are enlarged to form a petal-like fringe. Grows in grasslands, open woods, below 7000 ft. Native to southern Europe, sometimes used in wildflower mixes along roads or in parks, spreading by seed and considered a noxious weed.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: All Summer
• Life Cycle: Annual
• Height: 12--36 inches
• Habitat: Meadow, West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest, Disturbed
• Found In: Olympic Np, West Gorge
• Native: No