Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) seeds

The wild cornflower once was a frequent visitor to cultivated and arable land all over Europe but through the use of pesticides and seed cleaning its population has diminished drastically. In its wild form it is among the endangered species in many countries. In agriculture, it is still regarded as a field weed since it shares cultivation areas with cereals and oilseed rape.

The flowers and buds of the cornflower are edible and can be used in salads or boiled. Particularly interesting is their content of anthocyanins, a blue dye group that owes its name to the flower itself (Centaurea Cyanus). This makes it possible to obtain blue food coloring from the flowers, which can be used to color sweets and pastries. The colour obtained is also suitable as a colorant for fabric but not washable.

As a medicinal plant it is not very significant, although its wild form - in contrast to the ornamental varieties - contains some active constituents. Historically, it has been used for the treatment and prevention of ocular disorders and was regarded as a magical medicinal plant.

The flower had special symbolic significance both in ancient Rome, where it was assigned to the harvest goddess as a hair ornament. In addition, it has been used by various political parties as identification marks, including the illegal German national movement in pre-fascist Austria but also as a party symbol of the liberal party of Sweden and the national flower of Estonia.