Celosia – A Flower With An Unusual Shape And Texture
The first time I saw a Celosia plant I was fascinated by the velvet texture of the flowers and their unique shape. They were brightly colored and looked like mini trees. There were also some that resembled wheat. Later I saw another colorful plant and thought they looked like a brain or the coral you see in the ocean. After doing some research, I found they are called “woolflowers” and they are part of the amaranth family. They are annual flowers and edible ornamental plants and while I have never eaten them, I have read they taste like spinach. They contain vitamins and minerals found in deep leafy greens.
The three most popular types of Celosia are:
Plumed Celosia: Plumed Celosia tends to cluster together and have velvet, feathery plumes that are available in the bright colors – red, magenta, apricot, and yellow. The plants grow 2-feet and the plumes grow above the foliage. The plumes bloom in spring to late summer and grow 2 to 6 inches. The plant can be grown from seed and tolerates a wide variety of soils and is also heat and drought tolerant. It performs best in full sun or light shade.
Wheat Celosia: This pretty flower has stems of bi-colored and deep pink flower spikes. It is the most popular Celosia to grow from seeds. The plant blooms in late spring to fall and grows up to 32 inches. The flower is attractive in the garden and makes a great cut flower. It also makes a terrific dried flower. The seeds need to be planting in rich to average well-drained soil. If started indoors the flower seeds need to stay moist and require warm soil to germinate.
Cockscomb Celosia: Cockscomb is also known as Brain Celosia. While the flower is an annual, they do reseed freely. The flowers on this plant come in many vivid colors including magenta, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow. The flower can add some color to a rock garden. The flowers bloom from spring until autumn. Full sun will assist the plant to grow taller but the plant does grow in partial shade. These plants also have a high tolerance to heat, drought, and disease.
Pay attention to their watering requirement as it is just as important as the sunlight. These flowers make a great border plant and also look excellent in a container. Pinching is not necessary for all species of Celosia but is still recommended to increase the number of flowers produced.
If you have grown this flower and have any tips, please share them!
