Basket flower is an easy to grow annual with flowers that have a cream-colored center with bright purple edges. They close at night. There is an interwoven pattern below the petals, thus the common name. Flowers are produced from May to July.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
American Basket Flower
Centaurea americana
Plant Type: Annuals
Native Environment: Glade, Prairie
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost)
Main Color: Purple
Fall Color:
USDA PLANTS Range Map
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate
Nature Attracting
Butterfly, Pollinators/Beneficial Insects
Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Nectar, Food/Birds
Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
2 to
5
feet
Spread:
1 to
2
feet
Size
Height: 2 to
5
feet
Spread: 1 to
2
feet
Size
Height: 2 to
5
feet
Spread: 1 to
2
feet
Typical Landscape Use
A lovely addition to a sunny location that gives summer-long color. Goldfinches eat the seeds!
Establishment and Care Instructions
Sow seed in April in a sunny position.Does not need good/rich soil, any well drained soil in full sun will yield lots of flowers.
Special Features
Special Usage
Fresh Cut Flower
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.