Centaurea uniflora reaches a height of 40–50 cm. It is densely covered with short rough hair. The stem is erect, leafy and has only one showy purplish-pink flower. The green-gray leaves are dotted, narrowly lanceolate and smaller than one centimeter. The flowering period extends from July to September. The achenes are grayish brown.
For best results grow Centaurea montana in a sunny border in moist soil, and remove faded summer flowers to encourage a second flush in autumn.
Remove stems and leaves when they die back to encourage more flowers and leaves. May suffer from mildew in warm summers, if so remove the leaves to promote fresh growth.