Centaurea atropurpurea

Common Name: Dark purple knapweed

Centaurea may be annuals, perennials or subshrubs, with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and showy thistle-like flowers-heads, often with enlarged outer florets. C. atropurpurea is a clump-forming perennial to 1m with deeply divided, grey-green leaves. The deep red flowers emerge from bronze-coloured, scaly buds on strong stems in summer