Smallhead Star-Thistle

Centaurea calcitrapa subsp. calcitrapa

Native to:
Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Sudan-South Sudan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Centaurea
Species:
Centaurea calcitrapa subsp. calcitrapa
USDA Symbol:
CECA5

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual | Biennial | Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
100 cm
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jun,jul,aug,sep
Bloom Colors:
pink, purple

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies
Deer Resistant:
Yes

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
10–21 days
Notes:
Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment in warm conditions.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI