How to Grow Catananche Plants in your Garden

Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Blue Succory and Cupid's dart

Although plants of the Catananche genus are hardy perennials they are often grown as hardy annuals by gardeners.

They reach heights of about 30 cm (12 inches).

They flower from late in the spring and into the summer carrying daisy like purple flowers.

Other names for Catananche include Blue succory, Cupid's dart (Catananche caerulea) and Cupidone and Catananche caerulea.

Cupids dart
Cupids dart by novciveglia.

Catananche caerulea
Catananche caerulea (Cupid's Dart) by Fireflies604.

Catananche Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Cupid's Dart, Cerverina, Blue Cupidone, Blue Succory, Yellow Succory.
Life Cycle: Short lived hardy perennial usually grown as a hardy annual by gardeners.
Height: 12 inches (30 cm).
Native: Mediterranean.
Growing Region: Zones 4 to 9.
Flowers: Late spring and summer.
Flower Details: Blue, purple, white. Daisy-like. Flowers sit atop long stems. Fringed petals.
Foliage: Silvery leaves.
Sow Outdoors: Cover seeds. Before last frost or late autumn in mild areas. Spacing 9 to 12 inches (22 to 30 cm).
Sow Indoors: Germination time: three weeks to one month. Temperature 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C). Six to eight weeks before expected last frost. Transplant outdoors following the last frost.
Family: Asteraceae.
Requirements: Full sunlight. Good drainage. Average soil. Drought tolerant. Cut back in autumn. Winter mulch. Divide in Spring in cold areas, or in autumn in warm areas. Root cuttings can be taken in winter.

How to Grow Blue succory - Catananche

If you plan to grow Blue succory outdoors from seeds, then they should be sown onto a soil with good drainage, and then covered. This should take place before the last frost of spring.

If you plan to start catananche seedlings off indoors then you should start them off about 8 weeks before they are due to be transplanted outside after the last frost of spring.

Germination usually takes about 3 or 4 weeks, and should be performed at a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees Celsius (64 ot 75°F).

Caring for Catananche Species in the Garden

As Catananche are perennials they should be cut back in the autumn, however you may prefer to treat the plant as an annual as they are short lived.

More seeds are easy to get as the plant selfs readily, alternatively you can take root cuttings towards the end of winter, or even divide the plant in the spring.