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Freeport Gardening Guide: Celosia & Cockscomb

This is a how to guide to help anyone get started in gardening.

Celosia & Cockscomb

Celosia Seeds, Asian Garden:

Description: Beautiful flowers make lovely tea and pink lemonade! An award winning spiked magenta celosia from Murakami Seed Company in Japan. This well-branched celosia is a total pollinator magnet, all-abuzz with an abundance of bees and other beneficials. This all-purpose celosia is great for cutting, garden design, mixed planters and more. It received the prestigious All America Selection Award in 2017, noted by judges for its early blooming, good branching and bushy habit.

Asian Garden Celosia in a vase with tea on a high-key background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Chinese Wool Flower:

Description: Brilliant blooms look like colorful tufts of yarn, setting landscapes and floral arrangements ablaze! This 2-3-foot-tall variety was a major standout in our trial gardens and is our new favorite flower! Baker Creek is delighted to reintroduce an all but forgotten edible ornamental and what we have found to be the most delicious flowering vegetable we have ever eaten! The fluffy and colorful heads of this amaranth family member are wildly colorful and make a bold everlasting flower for fresh or dried arrangements. What sets this apart as a truly remarkable edible ornamental is the delicate and gourmet flavor. The young leaves are a perfect spinach substitute.  In the Baker Creek trial kitchen, we have tried it tempura style, stir fried, added to soups, lasagna and pizza; the possibilities are endless! The greens are incredibly nutritious as well. They are a good source of vitamins A & C as well as calcium, iron, and other nutrients. Baker Creek founder Jere Gettle was intrigued when he saw advertisements for the Chinese wool flower in seed catalogs dating back to 1915.  He had never seen the plants in real life, and upon researching, he realized they were no longer available anywhere in the U.S! We took our search abroad and finally tracked down a single seed packet in Japan. We are thrilled to finally be able to offer it to the public!

Full deep red blooms of Chinese Wool flower in multiple vases against a marbled backdrop.

 

Celosia Seeds, Early Rose Cockscomb:

Description: A beautifully crested, Japanese cockscomb type celosia in a stunning hot magenta color. Plants stand 3 to 4 feet tall and the vibrant heads measure up to half a foot across! Try this eye-catching variety in the cottage garden, cutting garden, containers, beds and borders.

Early Rose Celosia with glass teacups full of celosia tea on a white background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Eternity Mix:

Description: Prepare to be enraptured with this fruity mix, it is resplendent in beauty! This dazzling mix of colors reminds us of a fruit bowl; blooms come in blood orange, Meyer lemon, raspberry and tangerine tones. Heads are feathery and fluffy, referred to as fusagaito in Japanese. The 2-2.5 foot tall plants are excellent for beds, borders, containers and cut flower use! The celosia is believed to have been introduced to Japan in the 8th century, there the young leaves have been used as an edible green, the colorful heads have been rendered into a beautiful natural dye and the plants were also traditionally burned in the home to deter mice from entering the home. We love this brilliant fruity mix!

A bouquet of Eternity Mix Celosia on a white background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Flamingo Feather:

Description: Soft pink spikes sway gracefully atop tall, slender stems, making this the most elegant celosia. This reliable and uniform variety stands 24-40 inches tall and is perfect for fine gardening and cut flower growing. The dainty spikes in plush pink tones make for a perfect wedding flower or a soothing element in landscapes.

Flamingo Feather Celosia growing in the trial gardens at Baker Creek.

 

Celosia Seeds, Green Sylphid:

Description: Feather light, chartreuse plumes have the ethereal effect of an air spirit floating about the garden! Plants reach 30 to 40 inches tall and are perfectly suited to the cutting garden as well as the landscape. A rare beauty from Japan.

A green mason jar full of Green Sylphid Celosia against a green backdrop.

 

Celosia Seeds, Higyoku Red Stem Cockscomb:

Description: This red-tinged Japanese variety is totally gorgeous from leaf to flower! The burgundy foliage and stems are offset by the most striking vermillion heads, making it a bold choice for beds, borders, containers, and more. The plants stand 2 to 2.5 feet tall with multiple branches that produce heads ranging in size from small pokers to tightly ruffled fist-sized crests or cockscombs. With its sturdy, multibranching habit, this versatile type is great for arrangements, and it also makes a deep crimson-colored herbal tea.

Higyoku Red Stem Celosia blooms with deep red foliage on a stone background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Indiana Giant Cockscomb:

Description: Jere Gettle received seeds of this amazing, mammoth variety from an Amish family while traveling in Indiana around 2004. The deep crimson, tightly curled heads can reach to 14 inches across! A perfect choice for cutting gardens, landscaping, and county fair displays.

Giant Indiana Celosia in clear vase and grey background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Jessica Mix Cockscomb:

Description: A highly dramatic dwarf cockscomb, these mammoth, intricately folded heads come in a rainbow of colors and sit just 14 inches high. A rich mix of crimson, canary yellow, tangerine, magenta, and cerise. This astounding variety is short and stocky, just over 1 foot tall, but with massive heads reaching to 16 inches across! This is a perfect bedding, container or border plant, an easy to grow annual with fantastic eye appeal.

Jessica Celosia blooms with accompanying teas.

 

Celosia Seeds, Kumquat Orange Cockscomb:

Description: A vibrant treasure from Japan. Stunning, tangerine to kumquat colored heads are intricately wrinkled. These spectacular blooms sit atop long, sturdy stems and are a floral designer’s dream! Flower farmers and home gardeners will love this punchy, citrus-colored cockscomb. The heads are medium to large, with a velvety sheen! This variety makes an orange, floral tea.

Kumquat Celosia blooming in gardens.

 

Celosia Seeds, Lagos Spinach:

Description: Also known as Lagos Spinach, this celosia is a super heat-tolerant and tasty green popular in many African countries, particularly Nigeria and Ghana. The leaves are a popular ingredient in soups and stews. Plants can be pinched back to remain tidy; left unpruned, the plants can reach over 6 feet tall. The tasty, nutritious leaves are high in protein. When cooked, this versatile and rugged leafy green is the perfect addition to your permaculture landscape or any garden needing a heat- and drought-tolerant leafy green for summer. Thanks to our friend Solomon Amuzu for introducing this amazing selection. (greens should be consumed cooked and not raw)

A close-up macro view of Lagos Spinach Celosia.

 

Celosia Seeds, Orient #2 Dwarf Cockscomb:

Description: This super-compact dwarf cockscomb features massive, lipstick-red crests. The tidy, busy plants average just 6 inches tall and bear impressive tightly woven and wrinkled heads, about 8 inches (or more) across. This is the perfect bedding cockscomb, but it is also ideal in pots, window boxes and other compact spaces. It looks stunning planted en masse or in the foreground of a mixed planting. The edible flowers make a lovely tea.

A pair of Orient #2 Dwarf Celosia plants in wooden boxes.

 

Celosia Seeds, Plumosa Glorious Mix:

Description: These feathery celosia come in a stunning mix of fruity tones, from raspberry to lemon, tangerine, and cherry. The extra-dwarf plants reach 8 to 10 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide. Tuck these tidy plants into pots, beds, and borders. One of the most care-free flowers, they are both heat and drought tolerant.

Plumosa Glorious Mix Celosia flowers in a bowl with celosia tea in small mason jars on grey wood.

 

Celosia Seeds, Rainbow Sherbet Mix:

Description: Fractal patterned flowers shimmer in a range of sherbet tones. This is by far the most groovy celosia we have seen. The intricately pointed heads range from tangerine to apricot and strawberry. Plants reach 18-30 inches tall, making them an excellent choice for landscaping, bedding, container design or cut flower use.

Rainbow Sherbet Mix Celosia arrangement in a sherbet dish on a pastel background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Red Raven Cockscomb:

Description: (Celosia cristata).  With its exotic red leaves and large, blood-red blooms, this variety offers a striking appearance and vibrant color, making it an exceptional choice for gardeners seeking dramatic flair. The leaves are edible, and the blossoms can be used to make a delightful tea. Extremely rare and highly sought after in our trials, this plant adds a glowing, easy-to-grow beauty to any garden! Compact pretty plants.

A close-up of a Red Raven Cockscomb Celosia bloom and foliage with a small cup of tea.

 

Celosia Seeds, Tornado Red Cockscomb:

Description: Massive 8-12 inch magenta heads teeter atop tall plants with lush foliage. The large dense combs have brilliant garnet and violet tones that shimmer in the back border or as a large focal point in arrangements. With dwarf varieties dominating the market in recent years, it can be difficult to find tall varieties.  Tornado Red proudly stands 2 feet tall and will bloom from late spring until fall frost. A stunning variety that holds it’s rich, crushed velvet color when cut.

Close-up Tornado Red Cockscomb head with barn backdrop.

 

Celosia Seeds, Variegated Cockscomb:

Description: This fabulously novel variegated cockscomb from antiquity has been brought back from obscurity! This variety was described as a beautiful and unusual floral oddity in  The Country Gentleman’s Magazine, a British periodical from 1874. It was offered by several catalogs of that era, and it is still a favorite in our garden today, as the dueling tones are a playful riot of color. Alien-like combs sit atop three-foot tall plants. We expect this one-of-a-kind weirdo to be warmly embraced by gardeners and floral designers! Lovely 4-6-inch flowers are a joy! Note: variegation varies a lot from plant to plant.

Variegated Cockscomb Celosia growing in the gardens at Baker Creek.

 

Celosia Seeds, Yachiyo Hiryu:

Description: The feathery scarlet heads of this celosia are simply stunning! The impressive, vibrant heads are well supported on sturdy stems 3 feet tall. A favorite Japanese cut flower.

Yachiyo Hiryu Celosia growing in the trial gardens at Baker Creek in Mansfield, Missouri.

 

Celosia Seeds, Yachiyo Karyu:

Description: The magnificent, carmine colored, feathery heads of this celosia are just incredible! The vibrant, impressive heads are well supported on sturdy plants standing 3 feet tall. From Japan.

Yachiyo Karyu Celosia in a bamboo vase on a wooden table against a grey background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Yachiyo Kinpou:

Description: This Japanese beauty produces sunny yellow, celosia heads that are dense and colorful. The impressive, vibrant heads are well supported by sturdy plants standing 3 to 4 feet tall.

A single stem of Yachiyo Kinpou Celosia on a white background.

 

Celosia Seeds, Yellow Queen Cockscomb:

Description: Sunny, lemony-colored heads of a uniquely rounded shape. This easy-to-grow beginner’s flower reaches 24 to 40 inches tall. Yellow Queen is a “Kurume Type,” so called for the area where it has been most prominently bred. Kurume City is on the west side of Kyushu Island.

A floral arrangement of Yellow Queen Cockscomb in a green glass vase with dried lotus seed pods on white.