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Agrostemma githago

Common Corncockle · Corncockle · Purple Cockle

Family CaryophyllaceaeGenus Agrostemma

A magenta flower of five broad petals streaked with fine dark lines toward a pale center, among narrow gray-green leaves.
FlowerTeunSpaansCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
AnnualExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
annualPlants of the World Online
Height
2-3 ft60-90 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
1-1.5 ft30-45 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Black, Pink, Purple/LavenderExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Albania, Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., Greece, Haiti, Iran and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Loam (Silt), SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Corncockle was once a very common weed of European wheat fields; its seed was harvested with the grain and resown. Thought extirpated in Britain, a single plant was found in Sunderland in 2014. Wikipedia: Agrostemma githago
  • All parts are poisonous. Agrostemma is Greek for garland of the field. Wikipedia: Agrostemma githago

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 2 years from start to sowing. Then 2 days to germinate.

100% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Agrostemma p. 11Public domain
Show the original text
Agrostemma (Caryophyllaceae). A. githago DS 2 y germ. 70D(100% on 2nd d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Agrostemma p. 11. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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