Cosmos is a genus in the aster family, Asteraceae , that includes approximately 30 different species. However, only three of these are commonly available for use in brightening our gardens. The flowers of this plant are deep red to chocolatey maroon with matching centers, and they are held on wiry stems. Named not just for its coloring but also for its smell, these richly hued, velvety blooms are scented with a chocolatey fragrance that is more easily discernible on warm days.
It has dark green foliage. Most often found for purchase as a live plant or tuber, this type of cosmos can also be grown from seed. Take care not to overfeed or overwater it.
For those of us with cold winters, tubers can be dug up in the fall and overwintered indoors, much like dahlias are lifted and stored. In the landscape, uses for chocolate cosmos include borders, butterfly gardens , and flowerbeds.
Cultivars of C. Their vibrantly colored petals contrast with bright yellow centers. Flower heads range in size from three to six inches wide. There are many different cultivars of C. They can be grown in Zones 2 through When planting from seed, expect at least 70 days for the first blooms to appear, depending on the cultivar. This species performs best when grown in full sun but can tolerate partial shade — just make sure it receives at least six hours a day of direct sun.
You might confuse C. Like marigolds, the color palette of this species consists of bright yellow, orange, and fiery red, with matching centers. Like C. Sulfur cosmos cultivars tend to be a bit shorter than those of C. The foliage of C. These plants hold their warm-hued blooms on hairy stems. While sulfur cosmos varieties are frequently found as annual bedding plants at garden centers, they are easy to start from seed, either sown directly in the garden, or started indoors as annuals.
Growing conditions for C. These cultivars require at least six hours of direct sun, need well-draining soil, and can handle low to moderate watering. These varieties of cosmos are particularly drought tolerant, making them an excellent choice for xeriscaping. In the landscape, they work well in borders, or as foundation plantings or mass plantings. This C. Single flowers measure three to four inches across and show a lovely lavender hue on the bottom sides of their petals.
Cosmos sulphureus Yellow Cosmos is not as sensitive as Cosmos bipinnatus to pampering and "over-care". However, if you can discipline yourself to do some "tough-love" growing of Cosmos bipinnatus, you can produce the lovely pastels which the ladies really like.
Gardeners also have the added advantage of the naturally smaller growing Cosmos bipinnatus varieties such as 'Gloria' pink, 'Tetra Versailles' red, 'Candy Stripe' white with red veins, 'Day Dream' white with red halo around yellow stamens, 'Picotee' white petals with red margins, 'Sea Shells', 'Dwarf Sensation Mix' and 'Psycho White'.
Because cosmos is so easy to grow in the worse conditions spring and summer have to offer, it can be seeded in the spring for early summer bloom or in mid-summer June for late summer August - until- frost bloom as well. Since cosmos seed actually sprout faster in hot soils and the plant grows best in hot, dry summer temperatures, you can increase your plant population and bloom display by cutting back spring-planted cosmos.
When the spring-planted cosmos begins to look as if there are an abundance of dried seed pods, do not remove the plants -- encourage re-bloom simply by cutting the plants back to 12 - 18 inches high. They will be back in bloom in a month and the seed cut off will fall to the ground, germinate in the hot soil and increase the density of your plant population and subsequently, the eventual bloom display. Freshly cut cosmos blooms make a bright airy bouquet.
An arrangement of cosmos can last for 7 - 10 days. Select flowers whose petals have just unfolded; they will open fully once cut. Cut the flowers in the morning when their water content is highest and immediately place them in a deep container of tepid water. Before arranging, strip foliage from the lower portion of the stems. If leaves are submerged under water, they will decay quickly, shortening the life of the bouquet.
There are many summer flowering annuals which are excellent for drying. Marigold, salvia, cosmos, zinnia, coreopsis and gloriosa daisy are among the most popular and make fine dried specimens. Mid-sized varieties add anairy note when interplanted with evergreen shrubs. Edge a garden path or driveway with medium height cosmos in pastel or bright hues. Because they bloom so freely all summer and into early fall, cosmos is recommended for these highly visible areas.
Skip Navigation. Used here by permission. Cosmos How would you like to own a universe? For further information about Aggie Horticulture, see our about page. They are a great addition to garden borders. They are excellent cut flowers that can last for about 7 to 10 days in a vase, making them great ornamental variety as well. Cosmos Purity flowers are large and pure white in color, with apple-green colored foliage. The white flowers against delicate foliage make Cosmos Purity a beautiful sight to look at.
Growing to about 1m in height, Cosmos Purity plants are half-hardy annuals. They need full sun exposure to grow. The soil should be well-drained but moist. These plants perform well in a lightly fertile soil as well. They are a great choice for gardens beds and borders. Being excellent cut flowers they can last in a vase for 10 days which makes them a great ornamental variety.
Cosmos Rubenza creates a strong visual impact with its striking color. The flowers are a deep ruby red when they emerge but they turn into a color of the rose as they mature. They produce flowers all summer long till autumn. They can perform well in heat, rain, and wind. Cosmos Rubenza is low-maintenance plants. They need full sun and well-drained soil to thrive but they can survive in dry and poor soil.
However, if the soil is too fertile, the plants may grow too tall and may flop over or topple. Cosmos Rubenza is one of the best flowers to be added in any garden.
They make beautiful garden borders and beds. They can be planted indoors in containers. Moreover, they last fairly long in vases as well. Cosmos Sonata flower early and are compact, making them suitable for containers and garden borders.
The flower colors include white, pink, and carmine with a golden colored base. Cosmos Sonata flowers from early summer till late summer. These pest-free, low-maintenance plants are excellent cut flowers which mean that you can enjoy their beauty indoors in vases as well.
Growing best in full sun, well-drained, lightly fertile soil, the Cosmos Sonata makes stunningly beautiful garden borders, bed, cutting gardens , cottage gardens, and wild gardens.
They are very popular in Japan and Korea where they are planted on roadsides. Like other species of Cosmos, C. These annual plants grow to a height of 1 to 7 feet. The flowers of the original Cosmos sulphureus and its cultivars are found in shades of orange, yellow, and red. Cosmos sulphureus have an upright growth habit and are known for hairy stems. The daisy-like flowers have yellow rays and discs.
The leaves are pinnate, having lanceolate leaflets. There are many cultivars of this species that are quite popular. They include dwarf varieties with double and semi-double flowers, colors ranging from yellow to orange to scarlet red. Following the trend of rest of the species in this group of plants, Cosmos sulphureus also require full sun to grow. They perform well in moderately fertile soil, provided that the soil is well-drained and adequately moist. If the soil is too fertile, the plants grow fairly tall and eventually flop over.
Cosmos sulphureus is commonly found in wild areas and is also grown in garden beds, cottage gardens, garden beds, and cutting gardens. Cosmos Bright Lights consists of flowers that glow brightly, hence named Bright Lights.
These have foliage rather similar to that of a French marigold , though perhaps a little smaller, and flowers which are at best about 2in 5cm across.
The 'Bright Lights' mixture varies in height from in cm making rather an uneven group. The flowers are in just three colours - deep orange, pale orange and a slightly orangey yellow. The flowers are on long stems but the effect is rather sparse and tatty unless they are dead headed regularly.
More even in height is 'Diablo' in flame red and reaching about ft cm while the rather shorter new ' Ladybird ' is a very piercing, iridescent orangey red. The gold is actually a gold tinted yellow while the red is just the orange side of a true red.
The flowers are semi-double and need regular dead heading to look their best. So that summarises the varieties available, fortunately none is difficult to raise or grow in the garden. The bipinnatus types are raised either as hardy or half-hardy annuals. The seeds are long, curved and easy to space sow in a peat or loam based compost in April at 60F 15C.
They germinate in a couple of weeks and are best pricked out in 3in 7. Once established in their pots keep them cool to prevent them getting too large too quickly. Harden off and plant after the last frosts in your area. The taller types can go 18in 45cm apart, smaller varieties in cm apart.
These bipinnatus types can also be sown outside where they are to flower, although the seed of ' Sonata ' may prove too expensive for this relatively wasteful approach. Sow very thinly in May about half an inch l-2cm deep, thin out first to 3in 7. It can also be sown in September or October and over-wintered in pots indoors for spring flowering. The sulphurous types can be treated in the same way as the bipinnatus varieties but are less successful when sown outside - raising them in the greenhouse is definitely preferable and with a germination temperature of 70F 21C.
Cosmos have many uses in the garden. Unlike comparable annuals such as annual chrysanthemums , cosmos will not burn up by the end of August in a hot British summer and so although the intensity of their display may be less, they will flower until well into the autumn. The bipinnatus types are not fussy as to soil and any reasonable conditions in full sun suits them well. The taller types may need shelter from strong winds as they make bulky plants and can be blown over; alternatively they can be staked when approaching full size.
Ensuring they don't get parched is a help and dead heading not only improves the appearance, especially of the whites, but helps promote further flowering. Tall varieties such as the ' Sensation ' and ' Sea Shells ' mixtures and especially ' Purity ' are fine plants for the back of the annual border, for spaces in a herbaceous border and for gaps in a new mixed border.
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