Cornflowers

Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) are sacred to the goddess Cyanus.

For thousands of years, cornflower petals have been used in long standing wellness practices. In traditional European folk herbalism, the flowers were employed in a similar way to blessed thistle. Cornflowers were also utilized as a tonic herb and were often blended into herbal teas for both their beauty and their healthful qualities. The evocative purpleish-blue petals are also popular additions to potpourri mixes, adding a pop of color and a subtle, sweet scent. Although blue cornflower is most often infused, it can also be incorporated into baked goods and cosmetic recipes or prepared as a watercolor dye.

Still used in some parts of France as an eyewash to refresh tired eyes & restore sight, mild astringent & antiseptic qualities make it particularly useful against conjunctivitis & inflammation around the eyes. It is also used as an astringent mouthwash to help heal mouth ulcers and to clean & disinfect wounds.

Cornflowers are often added to shampoos or an infusion is used as a hair rinse to help treat eczema of the scalp. A douche made of a decoction can be used in cases of candida (yeast) infections.

The flowers have also been used for centuries for a blue dye.

1 oz dried flowers