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Celosia
Celosia
Celosia blooms from June through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Celosia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Celosia. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Celosia
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Celosia into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Celosia get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult12 inwideSee Celosia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Celosia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Celosia about 12 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Celosia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Celosia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 11 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenCelosia argentea var. cristata, Cristata Groupheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenCelosia argentea var. cristata, Plumosa Groupheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCelosia, genus entryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCelosia argenteaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureWheat celosia, Celosia spicataheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- ipm.missouri.eduUniversity of Missouri Extension IPM, Missouri Environment & Garden (C...height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- ngb.orgNational Garden Bureau (Year of the Celosia, 2023)height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Mississippi State University ExtensionAnnual and Perennial Flowers for Mississippi Gardensheight, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extension (Celosia)height, sun and trait tags
- University of Minnesota ExtensionCelosiaheight, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterGrowing Annualstrait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 11 varieties across 5 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Bombay Orange
- Century Pink
- Cockscomb Magenta
- Cockscomb Red
- Cockscomb Yellow
- Dragon's Breath
- Flamingo Feather
- Fresh Look Orange
- Fresh Look Red
- Fresh Look Yellow
- Intenz Purple
Compare every variety in the Celosia group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay Orange | Orange | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 24 in × 16 in |
| Celosiathis page | Red | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Century Pink | Pink | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 24 in × 12 in |
| Cockscomb Magenta | Pink | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Cockscomb Red | Red | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Cockscomb Yellow | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Dragon's Breath | Red | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 24 in × 16 in |
| Flamingo Feather | Pink | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 1 ft |
| Fresh Look Orange | Orange | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Fresh Look Red | Red | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Fresh Look Yellow | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
| Intenz Purple | Purple | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 20 in × 12 in |
Good to know about Celosia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Plant it too early and cold hurts twice: temperatures below 15 C (60 F) stunt the plant and force a small, premature bloom it never outgrows. per Maryland
How much to water
Guidance splits: some sources want steady moisture for lush, big flowers; others say lean dry. Safe reading: water to establish, then let the top dry, never soggy. per Minnesota and Maryland
Young leaves are edible
The young leaves and shoots are edible cooked, tasting like spinach (older leaves turn bitter). In parts of Africa and Asia it is grown as a vegetable, Lagos spinach. per NC State
Dries into an everlasting
A prized cut and dried flower: hang small bundles upside down in a cool, dry place and the color holds. Crested and plume types dry best; wheat types shatter. per Maryland
Loves heat and drought
A heat lover that thrives in hot, dry spots and shrugs off drought once established, but sulks in cool, wet summers. Give it the warmest, sunniest place you have. per NC State and Maryland
Draws pollinators, resists deer
It draws bees and butterflies (occasionally hummingbirds on the wheat types), and the genus is listed deer resistant. Its nectar value is modest but the visits are real. per NC State and Wisconsin
What pairs well with Celosia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Aster
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; pink sits close to red on the wheel.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Freesia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
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