Agrostemma Githago Corncockle Summer Flower
CORNCOCKLE
In the old days, corncockles flowered amidst the summer corn. In the course of harvesting, their seeds were mixed in with the corn and, if baked into bread, caused irritation and inflammation of the stomach lining. No wonder efforts were made to combat these problems, and the plant ultimately vanished from the fields. The splendor of the l3/4-2V2-in wide flowers among the ears of corn disappeared as well.
It is, however, simple enough to enjoy their beauty in the garden, since corncockle is very easy to grow as an annual. Sow directly in the garden in April, preferably in a sunny position in loose, poor, dry soil. The best results are obtained by sowing corncockle seed in a mixture including other wild flowers. The seeds will remain capable of germination for just over a year. Fresh seeds germinate after I or 2 weeks at a soil temperature of 54-60 °F. The plants flower from the end of June until well into August. Depending on the nutritive value of the soil, the plants will grow to between 20 in and 5 ft tall (usually between 28 in and 39 in). The magnificent pink petals with purple dotted lines leading to white centers are surrounded by a star of pointed sepals.
Agrostemma is a genus in the Caryophyllaceae family, contiang the species known as corncockles. Its most well-known member is A. githago, the Common Corncockle, a which is native of Europe where it is simply called “the Corncockle”. Nowadays declining in its native range, it is found as a weed worldwide. Agrostemma gracile, the Slender Corncockle, is only found in central Greece near the city of Farsala.
