Flowers › Bachelor’s Button
❀ Flower · Early Summer
Michigan Bachelor’s Buttons
Bachelor’s button is the flower that made “cornflower blue” a color you can name from memory, a tuft of fringed, jewel-toned petals that carries an unmatched electric brightness into early-summer bouquets.
Seasonal Availability
About Bachelor’s Buttons
Bachelor’s button, also called cornflower, is the flower that gave the world the phrase “cornflower blue.” Each wiry stem holds a small, fringed pompon of ray florets in a saturated, almost electric blue that few garden flowers can match, and the plant blooms in soft pink, deep maroon, white, and lavender as well. The petals are edible and hold their color beautifully when dried, which makes this an easy, cheerful bloom for early-summer bouquets, boutonnieres, and confetti.
A hardy cool-season annual (Centaurea cyanus) native to the cornfields and meadows of Europe, bachelor’s button has been a cottage-garden favorite for generations. It grows easily from seed direct-sown into cool soil, and because the young plants tolerate frost, growers in Michigan can sow it in early spring or even in fall to overwinter for an earlier, sturdier flush of blooms. It asks for little more than full sun and a spot to reach toward the light before summer heat arrives.
Cut fresh from a nearby field, bachelor’s button opens with a crispness and true-blue depth that shipped stems lose in transit. Our member farmers grow it through the cool weeks of early summer, so the flowers reach you at their peak. Look for that vivid blue in our floral design work, or request bachelor’s button in a DIY bucket to fold clouds of cornflower into your own wedding, event, or weekend arrangements. Learn more from the NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Bachelor’s Buttons From Our Farmers
Bachelor’s Button at a Glance
In season (MI)
June through September
Colors
True blue, pink, white, maroon, and deep purple
Stem length
12 to 30 inches
Best for
Bouquets, filler, boutonnieres, and edible garnish
How to buy
Requested in a DIY bucket, or custom design
Forms & Varieties
Bachelor’s button comes in far more than the classic blue, from inky maroon to soft pastels and mixed shades.
‘Blue Boy’
The classic tall cornflower and the source of that famous cornflower blue. Long, straight stems and richly saturated double blooms make it the workhorse for bouquets and boutonnieres.
‘Black Ball’
A dramatic heirloom in deep, velvety maroon that reads almost black in an arrangement. It brings moody contrast to blues, whites, and pinks.
‘Classic Romantic’ and ‘Classic Magic’ Mixes
Blended sowings that ripen in a spectrum of blue, pink, white, and burgundy at once, ideal when you want an easy cottage-garden mix in a single DIY bucket.
Pink and White Forms
Softer selections in blush pink and clean white for a gentler palette. They pair naturally with the true-blue types for a layered, meadow feel.
Care & Vase Life
- Bachelor’s buttons hold 5 to 7 days; recut stems and place in clean, cool water right away.
- Harvest and buy when heads are just opening, since fully blown flowers fade fast.
- Strip the lower foliage so nothing sits below the waterline and clouds the vase.
- Change the water every couple of days to keep the slender stems firm.
- Keep out of direct heat and sun, which shortens the life of the delicate petals.
When We Have Bachelor’s Buttons
Cornflowers are among the first cutting flowers of the Michigan summer, generally available from June and, with regular harvesting, running through September. They favor the cooler stretches of the season and slow in extreme heat, so a mild summer keeps them flowering longer while a scorching one may pause them. Every stem is grown by our member farmers and cut fresh for pickup at the barn.
Availability shifts week to week with the Michigan season, so colors and varieties vary. Reserve ahead for events, and check the shop for what our farmers have cut this week.
How to Get Bachelor’s Buttons
Request bachelor’s buttons in a DIY bucket
Reserve a DIY bucket and request bachelor’s buttons to arrange yourself, perfect for weddings, events, or filling your home. Order ahead and pick up at the barn.
Reserve a DIY bucketBuy bachelor’s buttons in the shop
When bachelor’s buttons are in season, you can buy them straight from our online shop. It’s especially good value if you’re a wholesale buyer member.
Visit the shopLet us design it for you
Prefer it done for you? Our floral designers create custom, bachelor’s button-forward arrangements and full wedding and event work. Pickup is at the barn; buyer members can also arrange local delivery.
Request floral designBachelor’s Button FAQs
Why is it called bachelor’s button?
The name is old folklore, tied to young men wearing the little blue blooms to signal their intentions in love. Its other common name, cornflower, comes from its history growing wild in grain fields.
Are cornflower petals really edible?
Yes, the petals are a popular edible garnish for cakes, salads, and drinks. As always, only eat flowers you know were grown without unsafe sprays.
How long do cut bachelor’s buttons last?
Expect about 5 to 7 days. Buying stems that are just opening rather than fully blown gives you the longest vase life.
Can I buy bachelor’s buttons by the bucket?
Yes. Bachelor’s button is a bucket-base flower, so you can reserve a DIY bucket to arrange yourself or have our designers work it into a custom piece.
Pairs Well With
NigellaFlower · June through August
OrlayaFiller · June through August
Sweet PeaFlower · June to July
ScabiosaFlower · June through October
RanunculusFlower · Mid-April to late May
DelphiniumFlower · June to JulyBachelor’s Buttons Available to Buy Now
See all bachelors button in the shop →
Ready to plan with bachelor’s buttons?
Reserve bachelor’s buttons for your event or ask our designers to build something around them, grown by our Michigan farmer collective.