NEN Gallery

An annual plant which grows one to three feet tall. Its leaves are stalked, the upper ones stalkless. The leaves are long and thin and have hairs on the upper surface and cottony down underneath. It has lots of solitary long stalked, blue flower-heads with jagged edged petals; the centre of the flower head is purple. The flowers in the centre of the flower-head are hermaphrodites, while those on the periphery are sterile. It flowers late May until September. It is also known as Bachelor's button. Here it is flowering early, the picture being taken on 30th April 2009 in Maldon, Bedfordshire.