Centaurea cyanus Compositae

Cornflowers have one of the longest pedigrees of all herbs, being among the forty or so herbs that have been identified, from the remains of wreaths and posies, as having been grown thousands of years ago in the gardens of ancient Egypt.

The flowers of the cornflower contain valuable active ingredients, and a decoction made from fresh or dried flowers is a diuretic.

An infusion can be made using a heaped teaspoon of dried cornflowers to a mugful of boiling water. Leave it for six minutes, then strain it and drink the resulting liquid between meals up to three times a day.