Macro image of a singe, home grown, Catananche caerulea flower.
The bright blue, cornflower-like blooms of cupid’s dart, Catananche caerulea, appear continuously from early to late summer, peaking in midsummer. Each papery blue petal has a fine silvery stripe through the centre. Plants are narrow and upright with sparse foliage; single specimens do not make much of a show so plant three or five in a group to make a better display. Grow Catananche caerulea in full sun in well-drained soil, such as a mixed herbaceous border or gravel garden. Pair with with grey or silver-leafed plants such as artemisia and Stachys byzantina, which enjoy similar growing conditions.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Fossil Road, Lewisham, London
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: asteraceae, beautiful, blue, botany, caerulea, catananche, centre, close-, cupids, dart, delicate, flower, flowering, fringed, gardening, hardy, home-grown, horticulture, macro, perennial, petals, plant, purple, stem, summer, sunshine, yellow
