what is this flower?

hotcookie101

Does anyone know what this plant is?

Here is the plants and buds, and here is the flower

This is the distant view..

These may not work, so bear with me....

Really would appreciate knowing what it is-self seeded last year, but I love it

stumpycat

I think it's a Centaurea, but there's hundreds of different kinds. I've got one that looks a bit similar, and it's a real thug of a plant, but pretty!

hotcookie101

wow, thanks for the speedy reply, Centaurea was my mum's vote too-so good to have it backed up. I don't mind thugs (at the moment I need to fill up the borders lol-am loving all my ox eyed daisies ) but will keep it in check (hopefully)

izzwizz_2

I'll have a guess at a meadow thistle

Zanderman

izzwizz wrote: »

I'll have a guess at a meadow thistle

Not a thistle - more likely a centaurea as previously suggested - probably one of the native knapweeds, either Greater Knapweed - Centaurea scabiosa or Common Knapweed - Centaurea nigra.

benjismum

Definately a Knapweed, I've just pulled one out as it swamped the garden in just a few months. I read somewhere they are a garden thug! We'd had some heavy rain and it flopped all over the place and looked terrible. No wonder my sister wanted to get it out of her garden!

Money_maker

izzwizz wrote: »

I'll have a guess at a meadow thistle

Definately not one of these. I have this in my garden and it is perennial rather than annual. Leaves are different too.



This looks right - lesser knapweed as already posted by others.