This annual, native to the tropics, is a fantastic plant for adding both texture and color to the garden. It can be found as either Plumosa Cultivars or Cristata Cultivars, which will both bloom from summer to frost.
Plumosas resemble plume like feathers and can grow up to 16 inches tall with a 12 inch spread, while Cristata looks like a rooster's comb with crested heads and ridges--it can be found from 4 inches-4 feet tall with a 6-20 inch spread.
They prefer full sun and medium moisture and mulching will greatly help the surrounding soil to retain moisture. They are low maintenance and are mostly pest free, but may sometimes be afflicted with stem and root rot and possibly spider mites.
Plumosas make great dried flowers and you can just cut them while they're in top form and hang them upside down and out of sunlight in a dry spot. Their vibrant colors of red, pink, yellow, creamy white, and orange look terrific in containers or in the flowerbeds around your home.
Celosias are grown from seed either outdoors after all chances of frost has disappeared, or indoors 4 weeks before transplanting outdoors. The soil must maintain a steady 70-75 degree temperature and must barely cover the seeds. The plants performance will be diminished if they are sown too early. Expect germination within 10-15 days.
Celosia Cristata Loz's Pic. Bills Pics.
Celosia Plumosa
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Well...ya learn something new everyday! I usually grow both of these for drying, but I didn't know they were kinfolk. I guess because I never let the name of anything sink in ...takes up too much valuable brain space.
Cindy Sue
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Registered: Mar 2004
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They're pretty neat plants huh....I grow them here a lot, but not in the ground(for some reason they just don't do good for me here)....I grow mine in containers and they really take off.....Plus my niece loves feeling the feather, soft plumes.....
I figured that it was one of the plants you used for drying....
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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The Cockscomb in the top picture grows good in the ground for me, but the one in the bottom picture doesn't. I have to grow those in containers and they do fine then. Seems like every time I try to grow them in one of the gardens they just don't grow...they stay exactly how they were when I bought them. (I buy those already started, but the other one I start from seeds...right in the ground where I want them planted.)
Cindy Faye
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Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Seems like every time I try to grow them in one of the gardens they just don't grow...they stay exactly how they were when I bought them.
That's EXACTLY what happens to me...the plume ones don't die, they just don't get any bigger than when I first planted them...BUT, if I plant them in a container then they grown really great....must be my soil....
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Wow, glad to know that I'm not the only one that this happens too....they are really cool plants so if you can grow them in pots I'd encourage it....mine get pretty darn big and healthy in good soil...
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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That's what happens when they are transplanted. But if you use the bio-degradeable pots so the roots aren't distribed when you transplant they should continue to grow. At least that's what I want to try this year. I love them also. Although I haven't seen any of the feather type ones in seed form the last couple of years.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Usually I buy them from the nursery in 6 packs....I really think it's my hard clayish soil....when I pulled them out of the ground the roots had hardly spread since I'd planted them...but yet they don't die....they just don't grow....
But when transplanted out of the 6 pack into good soil they really do amazingly well.
Maybe I'll try growing some from seeds this year!
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
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...takes up too much valuable brain space.
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, I will try them in pots next year!
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