Every now and then you come across a knapweed or rather a cornflower (?) at the edge of the path. With the fantastic blue-violet blooms, these flowers are hard to miss. But are knapweed and cornflower the same thing or is there a difference?
What is the difference between knapweed and cornflower?
Knapweed and cornflower are different plants, both belonging to the daisy family (Centuarea). The main differences lie in the origin, the shape of the leaves and the respective locations: the cornflower comes from the southeastern Mediterranean region and has narrower leaves and grows mainly in arable land, while the knapweed comes from Central Europe and has wider, cut leaves and grows in meadows, mountains and grows on roadsides.
Are knapweed and cornflower the same plants?
Knapweed and cornflower arenot the same plants. However, they both belong to the Asteraceae family and the Centaurea genus. It is therefore almost impossible for laypeople to distinguish them from each other - similar to dahlias and chrysanthemums or hawkweed and pippau.
Where do knapweed and cornflower originally come from?
Although these plants look extremely similar, they originated indifferent places around the world. The cornflower is not native, but comes from the southeastern Mediterranean region. The knapweed, on the other hand, finds its home in Central Europe.
Why are knapweeds confused with cornflowers?
Theflowersof both plants and also theirleaveslook almostidentical. The flowers are what catch the eye most. Both the knapweed and the cornflower have blue flowers. The flowers are cup-shaped. The inside of the flowers looks very similar in both plants and is blue-violet in color with almost black anthers. However, the outer petals of the knapweed are usually more strongly and conspicuously slit than those of the cornflower.
Does the cornflower bloom at a different time than the knapweed?
Both flowers usually bloomat the same time. The cornflower usually blooms from May or June. The knapweed begins its flowering period in June. The cornflower and knapweed can present their flowers until October. Fruit ripening begins in July.
How do you tell the difference from the leaves of the cornflower?
The knapweed usually haswiderandincised leaves, whereas the leaves of the cornflower are narrower and have smooth edges. The leaves of both plants are arranged alternately around the stems. But be careful: the stems and leaves of the cornflower have tomentose hair. The knapweed usually has no hairs on its plant parts.
Where do cornflowers and knapweeds grow?
Cornflowers are known for growing best on the edge ofarable landor grain fields. They like to stand there next to poppies and chamomile. In general, cornflowers prefer dry locations. Knapweeds are more common and like a location inmeadows, mountains, on paths and roadsides.
What other plants is the cornflower confused with?
Cornflowers are often confused not only with knapweed, but also with theWegwarteand theThistleHere too the flowers are very similar. However, the petals of the chicory are more sky blue, smooth and are closer together than those of the cornflower. A thistle can be distinguished from a cornflower by its spherical flower head.
Tip
Knapweed and cornflower – both valuable nectar donors
If you find it difficult to tell the difference between cornflower and knapweed, that's not a problem. Ultimately, it is relatively the same whether it is a knapweed or a cornflower. They both look fantastic with their rare flower colors and provide plenty of nectar for bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
