Guide to growing garden plants - Centaurium (Canchalagua)
Centaurium genus plants are low growing hardy annuals that reach up to 20cm in height.
They are known by the common names of Canchalagua, Mountain Pink and Centaury.
They flower in the summer with red of pink flowers and make ideal species for rockeries or for growing in borers.
Centaurium erythraea by Didier.bier; Creative commons.
Centaurium littorale - Seaside Centaury by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden; Creative commons.
Quick Centaurium Growing Guide and Facts
Common Names: Centaury, Mountain Pink, Canchalagua.
Life Cycle: Hardy perennial usually grown as a hardy annual by gardeners.
Height: 2 to 10 inches (5 to 25 cm).
Native: Asia, Australasia, Europe, Americas.
Growing Region: Zones 1 to 9.
Flowers: Summer.
Flower Details: Pink, red. Five or six petals. Many flowers per inflorescence.
Foliage: Lanceolate. Triangular. Basal rosette.
Sow Outdoors: Cover. Germination time: three to nine weeks. In warm areas sow in early spring or autumn, all other areas sow following the last frost. Spacing: 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30cm).
Sow Indoors: No.
Requirements: Full sunlight or partial shade. Good drainage. Sandy soil. Light soil.
Miscellaneous: Genus now split into four: Centaurium; Gyrandra; Schenkia and Zeltnera.
How to grow Canchalagua - Centaurium
When growing Canchalagua they should be done outdoors from seed. Centaurium genus plants should be sowed in a partially shaded part of the garden into a light sandy soil in the middle of spring; sow the seeds onto the soil surface then lightly cover. The seeds normally take about three to eight weeks to germinate and should be spaced at a distance of 20 to 30cm apart.