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| 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 |
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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 on this page is based on the research that we have conducted about this plant in the San Marcos Growers library, from what we have found on reliable online sources, as well as from observations made of our crops of this plant growing in the nursery and of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens where we may have observed it. We also have incorporated comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from those who may have additional information, particularly if this information includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Cheirolophus burchardii. |
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