Bachelor’s-button is a plant that bears small flowers shaped like buttons. Usually the flowers are blue, but some varieties have pink, purple, or white blossoms. The flowers measure 1 to 11/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 centimeters) across. Bachelor’s-buttons are annual plants—that is, they live for only one year. The plant, which blooms from June to September, grows up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall and has long, narrow leaves. White, cottony, hairlike parts cover the leaves and young stems. Bachelor’s-buttons are also called cornflowers or bluebottles.
The bachelor’s-button originally grew wild in Europe, north of the Mediterranean Sea, but it has spread to many areas of the world. The bachelor’s-button is a hardy plant that can easily be grown in the garden. In spring, new plants may sprout from seeds dropped by the previous year’s plants.
