Centaurea ragusina seedling showing foliage detail.

Centaurea ragusina leaf, flower, and flower bud
(photo courtesy of Pépinière Filippi, www.jardin-sec.com)

Pots of Centaurea ragusina in an Andalusian courtyard.

Centaurea ragusina depicted on a Croatian stamp
(series: The Flora of Croatian Regions; designed by Zlatko Keser, Zagreb; issued June, 1996)

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Centaurea ragusina   L.

Asteraceae

dusty miller, Dubrovnik centaury, Dubrovnik cornflower • Español: centaura, jacea de Ragusa • Française: centaurée ragusaine • Hrvatski (Croatian): dubrovačka zečina (du-bro-vach-ka ze-chi-na) • Italiano: fiordaliso di Ragusa

(Arabic) العربية : سنتوريا • (Hebrew) עברית : דרדר רגוזה

Endemic to the mainland and islands of central and southern Dalmatia

Synonymy: Centaurea candidissima hort; Centaurea cinteraria hort

Centaurea ragusina, by the Morrens (father and son), from La Belgique horticole, journal des jardins et des vergers, 1868.

Dubrovnik cornflower is an endemic plant spread on the mainland and on the islands of central and southern Dalmatia. Being a rare endemic species of remarkable appearance, the plant is protected by the law and (together with 225 other species, including the Istrian bluebell, has been entered into the Red book of plant species of the Republic of Croatia, with the aim to draw the attention of the public to prevent uncontrolled use of this and similar species). Dubrovnik cornflower grows on rocks around Cavtat, on the islands of Mrkan and Bobara, on Dugi otok, on the island of Hvar, on Marijan hill and the walls of the Diocletian's palace in Split.

In addition to being rare in the wild, this species, once the most commonly grown horticultural 'Dusty Miller' in many countries, is now almost impossible to find in the trade, replaced by other species (e.g. the coarser Jacobaea maritima).  The unique character might still find a role in mediterranean gardens, especially considering its association with the historical Dubrovnik Republic which flourished on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea for a millenium without a king and infleunced many other regions during its time.

Centaurea ragusina is a relatively short-lived perennial, with decumbant stems producing a number of rosettes of the striking, grey-white, pinnately lobed leaves which earn it its common name of Dusty Miller.  The scale of the plant is approximately 12-18in. tall and up to 24in. wide in age.  Cuttings come relatively easily and it is therefore simple to replace when the parent plant 'wears out'.  It will be longer lived and handsomely compact if grown dry or minimally irrigated in a poor, stony, well-drained soil or on walls.  The fat, thistle-like, bright yellow flowers are quite beautiful and are shown off well against the grey foliage.  Unlike the Senecio mentioned above, flowering does not unduly ruin the plant's form - it actually enhances it.

As show in the photo at left, Centaurea ragusina continues to be a common plant in the south of Spain (Andalusia).  It deserves more attention in other regions that enjoy a mediterranean or similar climate.

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Maša Ljuština - University of Zagreb, Croatia

Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Centaurea ragusina subsp. ragusina

with all leaves feather-shaped, spreading from top to bottom

• Centaurea ragusina subsp. baumgartneri

with all leaves evenly shaped

• Centaurea ragusina subsp. padelini

with leaves partially feather-shaped and partially evenly formed