Digging Dog Nursery perennials

Centaurea ruthenica
at Digging Dog

Centaurea

Knapweed

Centaurea’s heritage extends all the way back to ancient Greek mythology when Achilles’s wise teacher, Chiron the Centaur was wounded by one of Hercules’ poisoned arrows and subsequently cured by this herb’s miraculous healing powers.

Equally at home in a present day border or a more naturalized setting, our hardy undemanding selections paint a bright picture inside as well. The long lasting boisterous blooms are celebrated cut flowers, bringing high-spirited accents to both fresh and dried arrangements.

Appreciative of well draining “sweet” soil, the ever amenable Knapweed withstands some drought, but not wet, wintertime feet.

Centaurea ruthenica full sun

“A border flower of the highest merit,” is how British horticultural author, William Robinson once described this awe-inspiring Centaurea, and we couldn’t agree more!

Crowning long, straight green stems, the fluffy, thistle-style heads in unique pale citron yellows and tissue-thin, buff-colored bracts will attract more than just a few admirers. These ample-sized, sublime-for-cutting blooms heighten a graceful ferny pedestal of rich green pointed leaves with gray undersides, narrow silhouettes and a more refined countenance.

Blooms July–September.

Size: 3'–4' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 5.

Centaurea ruthenica (P-1329)
Each $6.00
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Customer Comment:

“Surfing the web for a special plant, I chanced on Digging Dog Nursery. I thought that any nursery that could create an Egyptian Gothic out of Anubis must have some pretty cool things going for it. I was right, and my first order was a pleasure. Well packed, healthy plants and extremely appealing people on the other side of the screen.”

~Sam in Oregon


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