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Celosia
Celosia
Celosia blooms from June through September.
Mature size, 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.
Growing Celosia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
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.
Comes in 11 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Celosia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
Bergenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; pink sits close to red on the wheel.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Gardenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall as this one finishes; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it; echoes the red.
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