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Basket Flower - White
Basket Flower - White
Seed Packet

Basket Flower - White

Centaurea americana
This wonderful native annual flower boasts large, fluffy flowers that tickle your nose as you bend to inhale their sweet honey-like scent. Native basket flower is named after the straw-colored bracts encasing buds that are as intricately patterned as the etchings on Acoma pottery. The plant's branching habit produces many white flowers with cream centers measuring about 4 inches across that bloom from midsummer to fall. It is a beautiful addition to gardens and informal meadows and is lovely when cut for the vase.
SKU #S1264
$3.55
Growing Companions
Cosmos 'Psyche White'
Cosmos 'Psyche White'
Coreopsis 'Incredible! Swirl'
Coreopsis 'Incredible! Swirl'
Blanket Flower 'Red Plume'
Blanket Flower 'Red Plume'
Basket Flower
Basket Flower
Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
49
Lifecycle
Annual
Annual Hardiness
Half Hardy Annual
Mature Size
3-4' h x 2-2.5' w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Regular, well-drained
Season
Summer
Color
Fluffy white
Features
Especially Fragrant Flowers
Great Cut Flower
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Bees
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Beneficial Insects
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
1/4-1/2"
Sprout Time:
7-20 days
Seed To Bloom:
16 weeks
Starting Indoors:
Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before planting out. Keep at 55-70°F. Retain moisture by covering with vermiculite or a humidity dome until germination occurs.
Starting Outdoors:
Sow outdoors after last frost.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
After all danger of frost has passed.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Native basket flowers are striking in groups in the mid to back border and in meadow gardens where they attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. A wonderful cut flower with long strong stems and huge flowers. Provide good air circulation to keep foliage healthy.
Final Spacing:
1.5-2'
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
Drought tolerant once established. 1" of water per week initially, then water during dry spells.
Soil pH:
Slightly acidic to neutral
Fertilizer:
Mix in about 1/2" of compost or an organic granular fertilizer in springtime.
Diseases & Pests:
Avoid disease by placing in a location that has good air circulation.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Harvest when the flowers are just open.