Growing as a tall perennial herb; Cephalaria procera was collected as seed from the Black Sea area of N.E.Anatolia in Turkey. Growing on the roadside margin beside the River Ovita at 1614 metres this has developed into a showy plant of merit. It can be found through Turkey and Iran.

Tall lank stem to1.8metres, with a pair of opposite leaves developing at the nodes. Despite the height to which it grows it is still standing without support following the torrential downpours of the previous few days. It develops into a multiple auxiliary stemmed flower head. All with terminal flower buds.

The terminal flower is button shaped, more attractive in development than later when the tubular corollas extend and give a creamy yellow appearance to the globose head. Initially the complementary colours of the black green pointed calyx and creamy green tightly held petals are seen in a complex pattern. There is a definite spiky feel when a finger is run across the bud.

Equally attractive once the flower parts have pollinated and dropped leaving the deeply indented moon crater pattern seed heads.

Cephalaria procera

Cephalaria procera

Cephalaria procera