The Bachelor’s Buttons (aka. Cornflower; Centaurea cyanus) common name comes from the folkloric use when bachelors would wear them as a symbol of being in love.
They are an annual wildflower native to Europe but now common in ornamental gardens and also escaped and naturalized in many parts of the world.
One of the other common names is “Cornflower”, as it was commonly found in agricultural fields (like cornfields) in its native habitat.
Bachelor’s Button produces intense blue frilly looking flowers. The flowers of the Bachelor’s Button are edible and also used to make a blue dye and for coloring confections.
The florets can be consumed raw and make a beautiful garnish to salads or other dishes. The dried flowers are also sometimes added to potpourri to give color. The young shoots of Bachelor’s Button are also edible and cooked like a vegetable. In the garden they are good companion plants and attract beneficial insects.
Today, the Bachelor Button florets are often dried and included in tea blends. Bachelor’s Button is a highly symbolic flower, mainly representing romanticism, a striving for hope, love and “the beauty of things”.
It a national flower in Estonia and Germany, and is also representative of several country political parties or ideals.
Bachelor’s Buttons make wonderful cut flowers and are common in the floral trade.
Bachelor’s Buttons have been traditionally used in herbalism, but is not very common in modern times.
Its main use was for enhancing eye health, especially for “tired” eyes and conjunctivitis. An infusion of the flowers is also used as a bitter tonic to improve digestion, and as a diuretic.
Topically, it has been used as an eye wash and in personal care products for its anti-inflammatory and skin conditioning properties, as a hair rinse, or as a mouthwash for mouth ulcers.
In a study of the water extract of the petals, they were found to exhibit antioxidant, anti-hypertensive and cytoprotective activities. Other activities found include anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotection, diuretic and antimicrobial activities.
Bachelor’s Buttons are sometimes used to make a flower essence to bring about artistic expression and understanding truth.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Bachelor’s Buttons: Symbol of the Lovestruck
