Sweet Sultan - Amberboa (Amberboa Moschata) Thistle Like Honey Scented Asteraceae Heirloom Cutting Flower
Sweet Sultan - Amberboa (Amberboa Moschata) Thistle Like Honey Scented Asteraceae Heirloom Cutting Flower
Annual
Height:24 to 36 in / 60 to 90 cm
Amberboa moschata is a Southwest Asian species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and the Caucasus. It is also widely cultivated in many places as an ornamental, and is reportedly naturalized in parts of China and North America. Also known as Sweet Sultan, this is an old-fashioned variety that was described in the 1600s by an English herbalist as a 'stranger of much beauty lately from Constantinople'. This plant is widely grown for its sweet and highly fragrant honey scented pink flowers; sometimes placed in the genus Centaurea, aka Centaurea moschata.
Medicinal uses: Branched Sweet-Sultan is used as tonic, aperient, de-obstruent, febrifuge, slightly mucilaginous and used in coughs. At home in the cottage garden and cutting garden, its soft thistle-like flowers keep blooming if deadheaded or makes a good cutting garden addition and excellent as a bouquet flower. Water Requirements: Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater. Blooms Late Spring/Early Summer Mid Summer Late Summer/Early Fall.
- Full Sun
- Soil dry to well draining
- Sow indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost date; 1/4 in deep and transplant outdoors after the soil warms up
- Germination: 14 to 20 days
- OR direct sow after last frost; scatter and cover lightly. Water in slightly and keep soil slightly moist until germination
- Spacing: 9-12 in. (22-30 cm)
- Harvesting: For cut flowers, cut the stems just when the blossoms are beginning to open. The flowers will stay fresh for 6 to 10 days. Sweet Sultan flowers also make excellent dried flowers
- Seed Collecting: Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully store
- Seed Count: 10