Cornflower (Centaurea Cyanus) Petals

Description ShareTweetPinLinkedInPrintEmail Cornflower (Centaurea Cyanus) Petals HERB COMMON NAME :  Cornflower HERB SCIENTIFIC NAME :  Centaurea Cyanus OTHER NAMES :  Bachelor’s Button, Boutonniere Flower, Bluebottle, Blue Bottle, Blue Cap, Blue Bow, Blue Centaury, Devil’s Flower, Red Campion, Bluet, Hurtsickle FAMILY :  Asteraceae ASSOCIATIONS & CORRESPONDENCES : Element: Earth Planet: Venus Day: Wednesday Direction: North Zodiac Sign: Capricorn Chakra: 6th Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) Energy: Yin Gender: Feminine Sabbat or Holiday: Lammas / Lughnasadh (Aug 1) Deity or God / Goddess Association: Puck, Flora, Chiron   Parts Used:  Flower Description:  The plant is called cornflower because it naturally occurs near field crops, namely corn. Cornflower is also known as Bachelor’s Button and Boutonniere Flower because young men once wore the flower in the lapel of their jacket to draw attention to their eligibility status. The dried petals of cornflower make a striking color contrast in foods, tea blends and potpourri. Cornflower petals also add lovely color to salads, dressings, baked goods, and floral waters. Cornflower is a key ingredient in Lady Grey tea. Cornflower has long been an indicator of good farm land. Cornflower is an old remedy for eye problems. A poultice of the petals was put on eyelids. It has been used to give eyes a bright sparkling look. A steam-facial of the petals improves the look and health of skin. Leaves in wine were considered protective against plague and other infectious diseases. The juice of cornflower was historically put into fresh wounds to quickly close them together. It was also used to heal ulcers and sores in the mouth. Historical Uses:  vision, eye problems, skin health, wounds, ulcers, mouth sores Mystical Attributes:  Its Latin name, Cyanus, comes from mythology for a youthful devotee of the goddess Flora (Cyanus), whose favorite flower it was. The name of the genus is derived from the Centaur, Chiron, who taught humankind the healing virtue of herbs. Women wear this flower on their breast to attract the love of a man.  Or, take a flower and put it in your pocket.  It will lose or retain its freshness in accordance with bad or good success in amatory pursuits. A decoction of the petals, filtered through three layers of linen and ritually consecrated beneath a full moon with a moonstone, were used as an eye bath for increasing clairvoyance, enabling one to see aspects of the universal creative forces. Try a petal poultice over the Third Eye for improved psychic ability. Cornflower symbolizes fertility and abundance. Cornflower is known for helping us see the Fae more easily. It encourages us to accept our differences from others and to have self-knowledge. It also protects psychic and other gifts from negative influences and rigidity, and it bolsters healthy individuality. Petals can be made into ink. Mystical Intentions:  attraction, clairvoyance, fairy magic, divination, love spells, fertility, psychic ability, individuality, self-awareness, self-esteem, magic ink Other Uses: Use in facial steams and to make infusions for the skin and hair. Makes a colorful addition to tea blends. The petals can also be added to baked goods, soups and salads. In the summer, add petals to the water in your ice cube trays. Adds decorative splash to your patio drinks.   Taste & Smell:  Cornflower is lacking in flavor, but does add texture and aesthetic value. Botany, Cultivation & Harvesting:  Cornflower is native to Europe and is naturalized in other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. Cornflower is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, growing to 16-35 inches tall, with grey-green branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 1–4 cm long. They spread upon the ground and are a whitish-green color. The flowers are most commonly an intense blue color, produced in flowerheads (capitula) 1.5–3 cm diameter, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. The blue pigment is protocyanin. It flowers from the end of May until August. Cornflower prefers full sun and mature plants can be drought tolerant. Will grow as a weed in and around crops, roadsides, river banks, meadows and more. Cornflower prefers a well-drained fertile ordinary soil, but tolerates dry, low fertility and alkaline soils. Rich soil results in fewer flowers. Sow cornflower seeds in March in the greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, transplant the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May. The seed can also be sown directly in garden beds during April, in areas where the winters are not too cold a direct sowing during September will produce larger and earlier-flowering plants. Harvest the petals anytime during the blooming season. Deadhead to keep it blooming, and if you want especially large flowers, pick off all but a few buds. Dry them by hanging the flower stalks upside down or lay flat on screens. Store dried cornflower petals in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Constituents: Anthocyanins (anthocyanidin glycosides) Sesquiterpene lactone: cnicin Polyacetylenes Flavonoids     Sources: https://spiritartsandherbs.com/sources **IMPORTANT INFORMATON: Products are sold as curio items for entertainment purposes only and based upon historical and magical uses.  We do not imply or guarantee that any items provide specific abilities, powers, outcomes, remedies, or treatments. Any information provided on listings or through private conversation is intended for educational purposes only and are based on historical folklore and traditions, and should not replace the advice of a physician. Use our products at your own risk. 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