Cupid’s dart

Cupid’s dart: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Narrow clump of grassy leaves with loose, thin flower stems up to 60 cm; about 30 cm wide.

Leaves

Narrowly linear, grey-green and softly hairy, mainly at the base of the plant.

Flower

Flower heads about 3–5 cm across with lavender-blue ray petals toothed at the tips, around a dark purple centre, from June to September.

Bracts

Silvery, papery bracts around the bud and flower, which stay decorative after flowering.

Roots

A fleshy taproot; pieces of root grow into new plants.

Flowering: June–September · Sowing: March–April · Plants: April–May · Pruning: July–August and October

Why grow it?

• Long flowering from June to September, in a soft and fairly rare blue.
• Flowers that are easy to dry: they keep their colour and shape in a dried arrangement.
• A good cut flower on long, wiry stems.
• Drought tolerant: ideal for a gravel garden or a sunny, dry border.
• Bees and butterflies are drawn to the open flowers.

Cupid’s dart: where does it grow best?

• Full sun.
• Sandy or loamy soil, acid, neutral or chalky, that drains very well.
• Dry: on wet, heavy soil it rots away in winter.
• Ideal in a gravel garden, a sunny border, a rock garden or a cutting garden.
• Plant 30 cm apart, in groups of three to five for an airy effect.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Yarrow: Flat flower heads in yellow or terracotta next to the soft blue.
• Lavender: The same dry spot and a gentle colour harmony.
• Gaura: Airy white or pink flowers that keep going just as long.
• Feather grass: Swaying stems among the thin flower stalks.

Cupid’s dart: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, once the soil has warmed up a little.
2. On heavier soil, work in coarse sand or gravel.
3. Dig a hole slightly larger than the pot.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil.
5. Water at planting and during dry spells in the first few weeks.
6. Mulch with gravel, not compost, so the base stays dry.

Care

Watering

Once established, only during long droughts.

Feeding

Not needed; on rich soil the stems become floppy.

Faded flowers

Removing them regularly keeps flowering going into September.

Cutting and drying

Cut freshly opened flowers and hang them upside down in bunches in a dry, airy place.

Renewing

Often short-lived: sow new plants every few years or take root cuttings.

Tip: Sow a few new plants every spring or take root cuttings in winter: you will always have Cupid’s dart, even if the old clumps disappear after a few years.

Cupid’s dart: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July–August and October.

When: In July–August, remove faded flowers. In October, cut the old stems back to just above the leaf rosette.

How:

• Cut faded flowers off with their stem, right down to the base.
• At the end of summer, leave a few flowers if you want to collect seed.
• In October, cut back all the old stems; the leaf rosette stays in place.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In March–April, sow indoors on seed compost, cover lightly and place in a light spot. Plant out in April–May. Plants sown early often flower in their first year.

Root cuttings

In February, cut pieces about 5 cm long from the thick roots, insert them upright in a pot of sandy compost and keep them cool and slightly moist. They sprout in spring.

Division

In April, carefully lift an older clump and split it into pieces with their own roots.

Cupid’s dart: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: frost is rarely a problem in Belgium.
• Wet soil is more dangerous: in a wet winter it rots. Make sure drainage is good.
• A layer of gravel around the base keeps the heart dry.
• In a pot: stand it under a roof overhang against a wall, so the compost does not get waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: The clump goes limp and brown in a wet winter or on heavy soil. Plant in free-draining soil with gravel.
• Short life: It sometimes disappears after 2–3 years. Sow regularly or take root cuttings.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in dry summers. Leave space around the plant and cut off affected leaves.
• Slugs: They eat young plants in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Flopping stems: On rich soil or in shade. Do not feed and choose a sunny spot.

Through the year

• February: Take root cuttings.
• March: Sow indoors. Remove old leaves.
• April: Sow indoors. Planting. Divide an older clump.
• May: Planting. Plant out seedlings.
• June: Flowering begins. Cut flowers.
• July: In flower. Remove faded flowers. Dry flowers.
• August: In flower. Remove faded flowers.
• September: Last flowers. Collect seed.
• October: Cut back old stems to just above the rosette.
• December: Rest. Make sure the base stays dry.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The genus name Catananche comes from a Greek word for compulsion: according to tradition, Greek women used the plant in love potions. That is also where the name Cupid’s dart comes from.
• Dried flowers keep their blue colour well, which has long made them popular in dried arrangements.