Spotted Knapweed
Centaurea stoebe
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine
Bernd Haynold
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Centaurea
- Species:
- Centaurea stoebe
- USDA Symbol:
- CEST8
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, purple
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and (Bombus auricomus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Bombus Latreille, Brown-belted bumble (Bombus griseocollis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Lemon cuckoo (Bombus citrinus), Nearctic Bumble (Bombus vancouverensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber (Bombus borealis), Pyrobombus Dalla, 🛑Rusty-patched bumble (Bombus affinis), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted Longhorn (Melissodes bimaculatus), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Moths:Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) Butterflies:Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Northern Broken-Dash (Polites egeremet), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Small White (Pieris rapae), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire; fire disturbance can promote spread in invaded areas.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- dry, sandy, well-drained soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in disturbed areas and open fields
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment. Light may improve germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI