GardenersHQ

How to Grow Centaurium Plants in your Garden

Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Centaury, Mountain Pink, and Canchalagua

Centaurium genus plants are low growing hardy annuals that reach up to 20 cm (8 inches) in height.

They are known by the common names of Canchalagua, Mountain Pink and Centaury.

They flower in the summer with red of pink flowers and make ideal species for rockeries or for growing in borers.

Centaurium erythraea
Centaurium erythraea by Didier.bier

Centaurium littorale
Centaurium littorale - Seaside Centaury by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden

Centaurium Growing and Care Guide

Common Names: Centaury, Mountain Pink, Canchalagua.
Life Cycle: Hardy perennial usually grown as a hardy annual by gardeners.
Height: 2 to 10 inches (5 to 25 cm).
Native: Asia, Australasia, Europe, Americas.

Growing Region: Zones 1 to 9.
Flowers: Summer.
Flower Details: Pink, red. Five or six petals. Many flowers per inflorescence.
Foliage: Lanceolate. Triangular. Basal rosette.

Sow Outdoors: Cover. Germination time: three to nine weeks. In warm areas sow in early spring or autumn, all other areas sow following the last frost. Spacing: 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).
Sow Indoors: No.

Requirements: Full sunlight or partial shade. Good drainage. Sandy soil. Light soil.
Family: Gentianaceae.
Miscellaneous: Genus now split into four: Centaurium; Gyrandra; Schenkia and Zeltnera.

How to Grow Canchalagua - Centaurium Plants

When growing Canchalagua outdoors from seed,they should be sown in a partially shaded part of the garden into a light sandy soil in the middle of spring.

First sow the Centaurium seeds onto the soil surface, then lightly cover.

The seeds normally take about three to eight weeks to germinate and should be spaced at a distance of 20 to 30 cm apart (8 to 12 inches).

I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Centaurium plants. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to Grow Eustoma plants.