Corncockle

Description

Corncockle is a weed the ballooned and became widespread in the 1800s when industrial and mechanised farming took off to meet the food supply demands of a growing UK population. It suddenly became a very common weed of cornfields and wheat fields. When meadows were harvested for seeds, farmers would inadvertently re-seed Agrostemma githago or Corncockle back into their fields.

These wildflowers are safe to grow, however are toxic, like many other plants. A lot of media is drawn around the plant being highly toxic however, the worry originated when these plants were found in our food products from the wheatfields. This plant makes a great cottage garden plant if respected. Featuring hairy leaves and pink flowers, corncockle is an annual wildflower that grows in summer months up to 1.2 metres in height.