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Bachelor buttons were once ubiquitous. They filled the roadside fields and popped up between the rows of corn. They blended with bright red poppies and sweet white yarrow in country bouquets throughout to form a pretty picture of wholesome, rural Americana.
But herbicides and the slow death of small family farming have wiped out these once common little flowers. Bachelor’s Buttons (also known as Blueberries) no longer often grow along roadsides or between rows of wheat and corn.
Fortunately, old-fashioned flower lovers are planting them again in their cozy gardens. Growing bachelor’s buttons brings back some of that old country charm.
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A Little About Growing Bachelor Buttons
Bachelor buttons (Knapweed cyanus) is a freely reseeding annual. But bachelor’s buds reseed themselves so well that they look more like perennials than annuals.
These flowers are native to Europe but have become naturalized in the American landscape.
In Europe, growing bachelor buttons was a symbol of hope and resilience. They are often used as remembrance flowers to commemorate victories, battles and veterans.
Bachelor’s buttons are part of the Asteraceae family, which also includes daisies, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.
Blueberries are usually a beautiful bright blue color. But seed companies have also developed red and white varieties. These small flowers grow on tall gray-green stems. The stems themselves can reach up to three feet in height.
They are hardy in USDA growing zones 2-11 – just about anywhere in the United States.
Because they are so easy to grow and spread so quickly, bachelor buds are considered an invasive species in some areas. Blueberries are banned in North Carolina and listed as invasive (grow with caution) in Tennessee, Georgia and Maryland.
Choose cultivars
Recently, seed companies have developed a variety of blueberry cultivars. Some are red, others white, and still others are purplish.
Most of them are traditional blue. Remember that cross-pollination usually returns plants to the original stump when planting bachelor buds.
If you plant different cultivars next to each other, be aware that all bachelor buds will pollinate each other, and their sizes and colors may become unpredictable after the first year.
These plants attract pollinators easily, so try planting different cultivars in clumps at opposite ends of the garden.
blue boy
One of the most popular cultivars for growing bachelor’s buds, ‘Blue Boy’ is the epitome of bachelor’s buds. It’s a tall flower – towering at around 36 inches – with bright blue blooms measuring over an inch in diameter.
‘Blue Boy’ will fill your garden with perfectly nostalgic looking blueberries. Grab a packet of seeds from Amazon.
dwarf blue
‘Blue Boy’s little brother ‘Dwarf Blue’ is only about 20 inches tall, but the flowers are almost as big as ‘Blue Boy’s.’ The mixture of the two varieties creates great depth for any blueberry field, with tall and short plants blooming at different levels.
red boy
Similar to ‘Blue Boy’, ‘Red Boy’ is tall and graceful but with a bright pinkish-red flower on top instead of blue. ‘Red Boys’ should not be planted too close to other cultivars or they will cross and lose color.
You can buy a seed pack from Amazon.
The bride
This pretty pure white fluffy flower is a stunner. It bursts into bloom and stands out against the bright colors and green, green grass. Plant ‘The Bride’ near colorful roses or dark peonies for a bright, contrasting effect.
When planting blueberries in the spring or fall, start by tilling the soil. Add compost and till the soil to a depth of about 6 to 10 inches. Sow your seeds about a quarter inch deep in the ground and cover them. Baccalaureate pimples need darkness to germinate.
Sow the seeds about 3 to 5 inches apart for healthy spacing. Any closer, and you may need to thin your seedlings or risk choking out a few plants.
Some people prefer to grow bachelor’s buds by scattering the seeds over a wide expanse of field and raking the soil over them. It is also an effective method. This may result in a slightly lower germination rate, but the flowers will look more natural, like wildflowers that have sprung up instead of cultivated flowers.
After seeding, gently water the area. You want the soil to be moist but not saturated throughout germination. Once the seedlings have established, stop watering.
Unless it’s a dry season, your bachelor’s buds won’t need watering after they germinate and produce two true leaves.
Bachelor’s buds are drought tolerant, but remember, they are not as adaptable to humidity. Avoid over saturating the soil even during germination.
Low maintenance flowers
Growing bachelor buds is incredibly low maintenance work. Once they’ve sprouted, all you really have to do is enjoy your pretty blooms. Single pimples don’t want you to care for them. They thrive on sunshine and neglect.
If you’re worried about your blueberries becoming weedy and taking over your garden, you’ll want to cut off all of your flowers before they set seed. It can be a big job if you planted a lot of blueberries.
Some people have chosen to simply mow their blueberries before they dry out. If you do this, remember to rake the flower heads. Otherwise, the mown flowers will still be able to dry out and reseed.
If you have grazing animals, try putting them in the bachelor’s button garden to do your dead heads for you!
Growing blueberries
These bright blue (or sometimes white or red) flowers grow happily in full sun. They do not do well in shaded or partially shaded locations. Consider growing bachelor buds in sunny cornfields and find a similar location in your garden.
Bachelor’s buds are hardy in cool weather, so you don’t need to start seeds indoors. Bachelor’s buds don’t take transplants well anyway, so just sow in the ground when you plant.
If you live in one of the hottest areas, where the ground doesn’t freeze, you can sow blueberries in the fall for spring flowering. In colder climates, sow bachelor buds as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring.
These flowers prefer neutral soil – between 6.5 and 7.5 pH. Ideally, the soil should be well worked, loamy and well-drained. Blueberries can also tolerate sandy or clay soil, provided there is good drainage.
Heavy, wet soil that doesn’t drain well will result in stunted plants and make them prone to fungal infections.
Bachelor’s buds grow well in rocky soil, as long as their roots have room to grow and the soil is well-drained.
Common pests and diseases
Bachelor’s buttons are notoriously free from the most common pests and diseases. They’re still mostly wildflowers, so they don’t have many of the problems that plague highly cultivated garden flowers. They have few pests and even deer tend to avoid them.
Sometimes aphids, leafhoppers and other sap-sucking pests take up residence on bachelor’s buds, but they rarely do enough damage to be noticed. If you see any noticeable damage from these pests, a quick treatment with insecticidal soap will nip it in the bud.
As far as disease goes, blueberries growing in well-drained soil will rarely suffer from it. But if you overwater your blueberries or if it’s a particularly wet season, fungal diseases can set in.
Rust, powdery mildew and root rot are the most common fungal diseases in overwatered bachelor buds. Of course, a biological fungicide will successfully treat these diseases.
Remember that the best offense is a good defense. Protect your plants by planting them in well-drained soil and resisting the urge to overwater. Unless you’re in a drought, your bachelor’s buds are unlikely to need watering.
These pretty blue flowers aren’t just visually appealing. They are edible. Bachelor’s Buttons have a light, peppery flavor with floral undertones.
You can dry the flowers to add to teas (try pairing them with roses, linden blossoms and chamomile). Or you can mix them fresh in a gin-based garden cocktail with rosemary and lavender.
In medicine, bachelor’s pimples are believed to nourish the blood and reduce inflammation. They are often used with chamomile, ginger or green tea to gently reduce levels of inflammation in the body.
Culinary uses include salads, cakes, cookies and meats. Mix blueberries with nasturtiums in spicy arugula salads. Use them to top a pretty summery champagne buttercream cake. Scatter them over a charcuterie board or toss them fresh over mango-lime grilled salmon.
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