How and Where to grow Corncockle

The species is now extinct in cornfields and very rare in the wild. This has actually benefitted many in the agricultural industry as it is a poisonous plant and not suitable to be in grain fields where it may contaminate the grain. Corncockle has a very attractive pink/mauve, jewel-like flower that is a good addition to a cornfield annual meadow. Because the plant is tall, it needs to be grown up by a wall or fence or in a mixture of other annuals. Plant in a mix of field poppy, cornflower, corn marigold and corn chamomile, such as in our Cornfield Annual Mixes. A mix of these species gives you blues, yellows, reds and the corncockle mauve/pink flower. 

You do not need to worry that it will contaminate nearby fields. The large black seeds are not eaten by birds, so are not spread in this way. They are also too heavy to be carried by the wind and generally fall around the existing plants. Corncockle can be bought as seed and generally establishes easily. As an annual in a meadow, it will probably only flower in the first summer. To get it to flower again you would need to cultivate the ground in the autumn.

Growing Corncockle