Blue Cornflower - Cultivation And Medicinal Properties

Unpretentious cornflower will decorate the garden and cure many diseases

Cultivation and varieties of cornflower

Blue cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) is an annual grayish-fluffy herb with a height of 40 to 100 cm. This beautiful plant has other names. In various localities, it is known as hairball, blue flower, blavat, rusty color, blue.

Cornflower inflorescences in the form of baskets, consisting of tubular and funnel-shaped flowers. The color of the petals is bright blue, white, pink, dark red or purple. Its flowering period begins in June and lasts until the end of September.

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Such a long flowering period allows you to effectively use this flower in the design of flower beds and flower beds, garden and park vases. After the flowers wither, achenes with a large fluffy tuft are formed in their place.

The cornflower has been introduced into the culture since 1542, it is grown throughout the territory of Russia, except for the Far North.

Blue cornflower is a very unpretentious plant that does not require much maintenance, but grows best in moist, lime-rich soils. These flowers can be grown not only in the garden, but also in boxes on the balcony or outside window sills.

Caring for a cornflower is reduced to regular watering and loosening the topsoil. Tall varieties of blue cornflower need to be tied to stakes. Plants are not fertilized. Only on very poor soils, before flowering, plantings are watered once with a weakly concentrated solution of complete mineral fertilizer.

Reproduction

Cornflower propagates best by seed. They are sown from April in open ground immediately to a permanent place - in a flower garden or in flowerpots. It is recommended to thin out the emerging seedlings. The distance between the plants should be at least 20 cm. You can speed up the appearance of flowers if you sow blue cornflower in September-October of the previous year or grow its seedlings by sowing cornflower seeds in February-March in boxes. Seedlings should be kept in a bright place at a temperature of about 18 ° C. After 2-3 weeks, seedlings appear, and after another 4 weeks the seedlings can be dived.

The main varieties of cornflower

Those who wish to grow this plant in their garden should pay attention to the following varieties: Blue Boy - plant height 50-90 cm, dark blue flowers. Gefullte Mischung cultivar - plant height 80-90 cm, flowers of white, blue, purple, pink and red color.

Jubilee Gem variety - plant height 30-40 cm, blue flowers. Red boy cultivar - plant height 50-90 cm, ruby-red flowers. Sort Schneeman n - plant height 70-80 cm, inflorescences are pure white, terry.

Combination of cornflower with other plants

Blue cornflower goes well with sweet peas, sparkling sage, three-month lavater, and it is especially good in the vicinity of various cereals. Everyone who was born in the countryside remembers well how beautiful the cornflower looks in the crops of ripening rye.

Pests and diseases of cornflower

Most often, cornflower is affected by powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot. Nematodes can live on the roots, the leaves are damaged by aphids, spider mites.

The use of cornflower for medicinal purposes

Infusions and decoctions of blue cornflower flowers are used for chronic inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, as they reduce the concentration of calcium, uric acid, inorganic phosphorus and other substances involved in stone formation in the blood.

Cornflower preparations are effective for edema associated with diseases of the kidneys and cardiovascular system. In the entire aerial part of various types of cornflower, including blue cornflower, substances were found that have high anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and diuretic activity.

Collection and processing of raw materials

Collect fully blossoming bright blue marginal funnel-shaped corollas of flowers, and first tear off the flower baskets entirely, and then pull out corollas of marginal blue flowers from the baskets, trying not to capture the inner tubular flowers. The corollas are dried in a darkened, well-ventilated area, scattering in a thin layer, often turning over to preserve their natural color.

The flowers of the plant are prescribed as part of diuretic preparations for urolithiasis, pyelitis, cystitis, nephrosis and other diseases. The crushed leaves are applied to the wounds for their speedy healing.

The anti-inflammatory and disinfecting properties of the plant flowers are used for conjunctivitis, blepharitis, with increased eye fatigue.

Clinical data indicate the possibility of using cornflower flowers in diseases of the liver and biliary tract, accompanied by impaired bile secretion. The bitterness present in the plant improves digestive functions. In this regard, cornflower is a part of various fees used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In folk medicine, flowers are used as a diuretic for kidney stones, as an antispasmodic for headaches, as well as for fever, sore throat, laryngitis and coughs of various origins. Found their place in traditional medicine and seeds. Powder from them is sprinkled with warts.

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Infusion of cornflower flowers

Pour 1 teaspoon of flowers with one glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain and take 50-70 g three times a day 10-15 minutes before meals. It is used as an antipyretic agent for acute respiratory infections, fevers, headache, and inflammation of the bladder and kidneys. The same infusion can be used as a lotion 6-8 times a day for inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, lacrimation, barley.

The same infusion is used to treat "night blindness" - a disease associated with impaired twilight vision. Treatment will be more successful if you drink 50 g of infusion of flowers three times a day, 15-20 minutes after eating. To stimulate appetite and improve digestion, the infusion is taken in 50 g 3-4 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

An infusion of blue cornflower is effective for whooping cough in children, it quickly relieves coughing attacks and significantly improves the general condition of the patient. For infusion, take a teaspoon of dried flowers, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 1 hour. The infusion is filtered and taken orally 1 tablespoon three times a day 30 minutes before meals. Outwardly, lotions with decoction of flowers are used for eczema, trophic ulcers, furunculosis, alopecia areata.

The infusion of flowers is used for heart attacks. Brew 1 teaspoon of flowers with a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, drain. Drink 1/4 cup once a day 20 minutes before meals.

Blue cornflower flowers are also used in cosmetics. For oily, porous skin of the face, mix the infusion of cornflower flowers with a spoonful of vodka. Use for rubbing, compresses and ice making.

Contraindications

It must be remembered that decoctions and infusions of blue cornflower are weakly poisonous. Their use during pregnancy is contraindicated.

Cornflower in cooking

Culinary art has also not spared cornflower. So, for example, it is even added to sour cream sauce for pork, cabbage soup and borscht are cooked with it, it is added to salads.