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Products > Cheirolophus burchardii
 
Cheirolophus burchardii - Canary Island Corn Flower
   
Image of Cheirolophus burchardii
 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Shrub
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflowers)
Origin: Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean)
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: Lavender
Bloomtime: Spring/Summer
Synonyms: [C. canariensis var. subexpinnata]
Height: 4-6 feet
Width: 3-4 feet
Exposure: Full Sun
Seaside: Yes
Summer Dry: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F
Cheirolophus burchardii (Canary Island Corn Flower) - A fast growing evergreen medium sized upright shrub that reaches 4 to 6 feet tall by nearly as wide with a dense cover of green 4 to 7 inch long lanceolate and slightly serrated leaves hiding the stems. From midspring to midsummer the showy and lightly fragrant white centered pale lavender cornflower-like flowers rise up above the foliage on branching 1 foot tall stems. Plant in full sun in a moderately well-drained soil and water occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to around 25° F and tolerant of near coastal conditions. This is an attractive and lush drought tolerant plant is a great looking plant in the garden and is attractive to bees and butterflies. This species is native to rock crevices close to the sea northwestern Tenerife, the largest and most populated island of the eight Canary Islands. The genus has about 20 species endemic to the Canary Islands, where they are generally found in small populations on basalt cliffs. Other species are also found on the island of Madeira, on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea side of the Iberian Peninsula on the European mainland and along the Mediterranean Sea coast in North Africa. The genus name is from the Latin words 'cheir' meaning "a hand" and 'lophos' meaning a "crest", referring to the hand-shaped bract tips that most species in this genus have. The specific epithet honors Oscar Burchard (1863-1949), a German botanist who lived in Tenerife. This plant was previously known as Centaurea canariensis var. subexpinnata and while some nomenclatural databases list this name as current, currently the World Flora Online lists the correct name for this plant as Cheirolophus canariensis ssp. subexpinnata (Burch.) G.Kunkel. Another common name applied to this plant is Burchards Shrubflower. We thank Annie Hayes of Annie's Annuals for introducing us to this wonderful plant. 

The information displayed on this page about Cheirolophus burchardii is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers, established in 1979, closed for regular business on December 23rd 2025 as the property will be developed for affordable housing.
The gates are closed but we will be open by appointment only as we liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. Our remaining plants are listed on our Live Inventory Page.