Botanical family: Asteraceae

Carthamus sp.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant. Carthamus tinctorius is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds. Plants are 12 to 59 in tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers.

Centaurea cyanus

Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower) is an attractive groundcover and low-growing perennial, reaching 2ft in height. This small shrub is easy to grow and is noted for its clusters of bright flowers from spring to autumn. It features 1 inch wide, white to off-white flowers with dark blue accents at the center. The blooms are attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, making it an ideal choice for a wildlife garden.

When planting Centaurea cyanus, it's important to choose a spot with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. This plant is drought-tolerant and appreciates moderate watering, so it's best to keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Centaurea cyanus is hardy in USDA zone 3-8

Cornflower is a plant that was commonly found growing as a weed in fields where grains such as wheat, barley, rye, or oats were grown. However, it is now endangered in its natural habitat due to agricultural intensification and the overuse of herbicides. Despite this, it has been naturalized in many parts of the world, including North America and parts of Australia. It is often grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, with various cultivars available in pastel colors including pink and purple. In the United States, it is also grown for the cut flower industry, with the most common color being a doubled blue variety. The seeds of this plant germinate quickly after planting.

Cornflower has a few practical uses as well. It is sometimes used as a culinary ornament and is valued for its blue pigment. It can also be found in certain tea blends and herbal teas. In herbalism, a decoction of cornflower is used to treat conjunctivitis and can be used as a wash for tired eyes.

In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in love. If the flower wilted too quickly, it was seen as a sign that the man's love was not returned. The blue cornflower has been the national flower of Estonia since 1968 and symbolizes daily bread to Estonians. It is also the symbol of the Finnish and Swedish political parties and has been a symbol of social liberalism in Sweden since the early 20th century. The blue cornflower is also one of the national flowers of Germany.

Centaurea sp.

Species and varieties:

Centaurea crocodylium

Centaurea cyanus

Centaurea dealbata

Centaurea gymnocarpa

Centaurea ragusina

Chromolaena odorata, Eupatorium odoratum, Osmia odorata

Chromolaena odorata grows in many soil types but prefers well-drained soils, (PIER, 2003). It does not tolerate shade and thrives well in open areas (FAO). Requires disturbance to become established. It will not grow in waterlogged or saline soils. It can occur in most tropical and sub-tropical terrestrial habitats below 1000 m altitude, except for undisturbed rainforest. It requires at least 1200 mm annual rainfall, but tolerates severe dry seasons

Chromolaena odorata is used as a traditional medicine in Vietnam, the aqueous extract and the decoction from the leaves of this plant have been used throughout Vietnam for the treatment of soft tissue wounds, burn wounds, and skin infections.

Chrysanthemum carinatum, Chrysanthemum tricolor

Excellent cut flowers. Commonly grown in the flower garden, it is cultivated for its edible young shoots in China.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (formerly Helichrysum apiculatum) is a very variable species. It is usually a small, spreading perennial or shrub up to about 0.3 metres high by 0.5 to 1.5 metres in width. Some forms spread by suckering. The linear or lance-shaped leaves are often silvery or greyish in appearance due to the presence of dense hairs and may be between 10 and 60 mm in length by about 5 - 15 mm wide. The bright yellow flower heads appear in clusters at the ends of the stems.

Propagation is easy from cuttings taken at any time of the year.

Coreopsis sp.

Coreopsis typically bloom bright yellow, daisy like flowers all summer and into the fall.

Cosmos sulphureus

It is known as sulfur cosmos because of its brightly colored (yellow, orange and sometimes red or crimson/vinous) flowers.

Cosmos sulphureus typically grows to a height of 2-5 ft. In ideal conditions it may often grow a bit higher. The plants have light-green leaves with a dainty, fine-toothed appearance. The flowers are found individually at the ends of the plants' branching stems. When in flower, the plants bear up to 25 flowers.

Cosmos sulphureus prefers full sun and sufficient water. Ensure to water your plant when the soil is dry to the touch. Too much water can rot the roots and too little water can dry out the leaves. A moderate watering schedule should be enough to keep your plant healthy.

Cosmos sulphureus exhibits qualities of both heat and cold tolerance, making it suitable for growing in USDA Zones 9-11. In areas of extreme cold, Cosmos sulphureus can be grown in pots and sheltered indoors during the cold months. The pots should be kept in sunny windows, and watered regularly during this period.

Cosmos sulphureus is an ethnomedical plant, with its traditional usage roots from parts of Latin America, where it is used to treat various respiratory and digestive issues. In addition to its medicinal uses, Cosmos sulphureus also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden in droves.

Overall, Cosmos sulphureus is an easy-to-care for plant for sunny locations. Plant in fertile soil and water regularly for optimal results. With its bright and colorful flowers, cosso sulphureus makes a beautiful addition to your garden.

Curio articulatus, Senecio articulatus, Kleinia articulata

Senecio articulatus has fat cylindrical stems with periodic constrictions, giving an impression of sausage-links. These are decoratively enhanced by reddish-purple markings. The notched and dissected leaves are a bright green, sometimes flushed with purple.

Curio herreanus, Senecio herreianus

These species are leafy succulents, in that they store large amounts of water in their leaves (as opposed to stems as do the cacti) and can withstand long periods of drought. Gooseberry leaves are football shaped and about 3/8 inch long. The unique shapes of the fleshy leaves greatly reduce the surface area exposed to the hot and dry environment, so they lose a bare minimum of the precious water extracted from the soil. The reduced surface area, however, limits the amount of the sun's energy the plants can absorb for photosynthesis. Nature's way of compensating for this limited external surface area is to have a 'window' or slit of transparent tissue in each leaf that allows light to enter and be absorbed by the photosynthetic cells lining the inside. Therefore, light absorption occurs on the outer surface as well as the inner surface. This allows the plant to produce a sufficient amount of food by photosynthesis while conserving its water. The central core of each leaf is composed of clear, non-pigmented water storage cells. See Senecio rowleyanus.