Common knapweed wildflower seed - Kent Wildflower Seeds

Wildflower Straights

Centaurea Nigra – Common Knapweed Seeds

Name: Centaurea Nigra - Common Knapweed Seeds
SKU: WILDFLOWERCKNAPWEED_S
Availability: InStock

£5.00 – £37.00

The pink-purple flowers of common knapweed are made up of many tiny flowers with ragged bracts, borne on stems to a metre high above clumps of mid-green leaves. Rich in nectar and pollen they are beloved by bees, butterflies and moths and provide food for seed-feeding birds in autumn. Supporting soil structure with its deep tap root, common knapweed is ideal for heavy clay soils. Pair with common agrimony and field scabious to create a butterfly garden or introduce into naturalised planting schemes to increase biodiversity.

Buy 100% native common knapweed wildflower seeds.

Weight

Clear

Tough and vigorous, common knapweed is pollinated by a wide range of insects including bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles, and the resulting seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-feeding birds. A member of the daisy family, knapweed flowers are made up of many tiny flowers with ragged bracts, borne on stems to a metre high above clumps of long entire or partly lobed mid-green leaves.

Common knapweed is also included in the following wildflower seed mixtures:

Wealden Heavy Clay Soils Wildflower Mix

North Downs Wildflower Mix

Bees & Butterflies Pollinator Wildflower Mix

Things to note when sowing common knapweed wildflower seeds:

Latin name: Centaurea nigra.

Flowers: June to September.

Sow with: oxeye daisy, wild carrot, and lady’s bedstraw.

Height: 30–60 cm tall.

Sow common knapweed: in autumn or spring, or in mild spells during winter.

Lifecycle: Knapweed is a hardy grassland perennial. However, in order to regenerate, it needs an opportunity to set seed and for that seed to become established into open ground.

Soil requirement: naturalised planting in heavy clay or chalky soils. It does not thrive in very damp or acid sites.

Natural habitat: meadows, pastures, road verges, field borders, waste ground, scrubland, and woodland edges.

Also known as: lesser knapweed, black knapweed, hardhead, iron knobs, black centaury, loggerheads, and Spanish buttons.

Did you know? Common knapweed is favoured by of all kinds of butterflies including Common Blues, Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns.

Is common knapweed safe for pets? Yes, common knapweed is not known to be toxic to animals or humans, but all knapweeds contain carcinogens, so it is best to wear gloves when pulling more than one plant.