Centaurea

Centaurea is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as centaury, knapweed, or cornflower. The genus includes about 500 species of annuals, biennials, and perennials, many of which are native to Europe and Asia but have been naturalized in other parts of the world.

Centaurea plants are characterized by their showy, colorful flowers with a central disc surrounded by a ring of ray florets. The flowers come in shades of blue, pink, purple, red, and white, and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The plants often have spiky or hairy foliage and can range in size from small, low-growing annuals to tall, upright perennials.