For the fictional anthropomorphic mouse, see Cornflower (Redwall). For the painting by Sergei Ivanovich Osipov, see Cornflowers (painting). Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. In the past it often grew as a weed in cornfields (in the broad sense of the word corn, referring to grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, or oats), hence its name.