AnnualsDiscover the right annual plants for your garden.
' Candy Stripe ' cosmos peak . Photo by : Janet Loughrey
Cosmos is a bloom warm - time of year yearly commonly grown from seed . A raw material of cottage - style perimeter , cosmos create cheerful daisy - like flowers from summer into fall . Even tyro gardeners will savor success with this easy to grow flower .
Though case-by-case flowers last just several days , the buds are produced in clump along the stems for long - lasting color in beds , borders , containers , or cut efflorescence arrangements . Here ’s how to grow and use cosmos plants in your yard .
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page : Basics|Types|Planting|Care|Pictures|Using in the Garden|Frequently Asked Questions
On this page :
BASICS
Botanical name:
Cosmosspp .
Plant type:
Cosmos is a tender season annual that is grow from source or starts . burnt umber cosmos is a tender perennial grown from tuber or seed .
Zone:
Most existence are annual in all zones . Chocolate cosmos is a warm perennial hardy in USDA zones 7 - 11 .
Exposure:
Full sun
Bloom time:
summertime until hoar
Growth habit:
good or mounding branching habit
Height/spread:
1 to 5 foot marvellous , 1 to 3 foot wide
Foliage:
Green leafage can be ferny , deeply dissected , or spear - shaped , depending on the coinage .
Flowers:
Daisy - comparable bloom 2 to 5 inches wide have single , double , semi - double , or flute petals encircling a yellow or brown middle . The flower occur in colors of ashen , pink , Battle of Magenta , Burgundy wine , yellow , orange , apricot , or hot chocolate , with some bicolor or multi - colored . Petals can be rounded , ruffled , or fringed .
Benefits and other attributes:
Cosmos flowers are attractive to butterflies and other dirt ball pollinator , while the come forefront are a food generator for songbirds and other wildlife . Cosmos may reseed themselves in the next growing time of year , though some hybrids may not do true from seed .
Are cosmos plants poisonous?
world are not toxic to pets or kid , though the ingestion of any ornamental plant may cause meek discomfort .
Are cosmos plants deer resistant?
Cosmos are resistant to cervid browsing , though it ’s possible to incur some damage if other food sources are scarce .
HOW TO PLANT COSMOS FLOWERS
Photo by Dean Clarke / Shutterstock .
world can be planted from seed , tubers , or greenhouse - grown commencement . A much broad selection of garden cosmos is available when growing plants from come .
Where to plant:
plant life cosmos in a site with average well - drain soil that receive at least 6 to 8 hr of full Dominicus .
When to plant:
Sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last median frost escort . unmediated sow seeds outdoors when all risk of frost has passed .
Soil:
universe are tolerant of a mountain chain of soil atmospheric condition , but will perform best in mean land with secure drainage and a pH of 6.0 to 8.0 . ward off planting in rich soil , which can cause plants to become leggy or descend over .
How to plant:
COSMOS CARE
Watering:
existence are drouth kind once established . water system once a week or more often during oestrus spells . For containers , pee when the top 2 inches of soil feel teetotal . ward off over - tearing and overhead watering , which can run to fungal disease or other problems .
Amendments and fertilizer:
world need little or no supplemental fertilizer . grease that is too gamy in nutrients can do plants to produce more foliage at the expense of flowers .
Pruning and deadheading:
Young plants can be purloin to encourage more branching , which will result in a shaggy riding habit and more blooms . Wait until seedling are 8 to 12 in tall and snip the top several inch of the chief stem to just above a set of leaves . Deadhead spent cosmos flowers regularly to boost more blooms . After most of the flowers have faded , cosmos plants can be sheared back by up to a third of their size of it to stimulate fresh growth and bloom .
Support:
Taller plants may take staking or other keep so they do n’t fall over .
Pests:
When given the right grow conditions , cosmos are insubordinate to most pests and disease . Pests can includeaphids , Japanese beetles , leafhopper , spider mitesandthrips . Young seedlings may be prone toslug or escargot damage .
Diseases:
disease , which are mostly due to overwatering or piteous air circulation , can let in aster yellows , bacterial wilting , botrytis , curly top computer virus , fusarium wilt , powdery mildew , and white smut .
POPULAR COSMOS VARIETIES
Photo by : Janet Loughrey
' Apricot Lemonade’Cosmos bipinnatus
Habit:
Compact ramify riding habit
Height/Spread:
20 to 30 inches tall , 12 to 18 inches wide-cut
Uniquely colored petals are soft apricot - yellow with lavender undersides . A mauve - pink anchor ring encircles the bright yellow centre for a striking effect . Plant this smaller variety in a bungalow - style border or butterfly garden .
' Candy Stripe’Cosmos bipinnatus
Upright separate habit
3 to 5 feet grandiloquent , 1 to 2 feet wide
great individual flowers 3 to 4 inch panoptic have a icteric center encircled by white flower petal edged or strip with carmine - pinko . The bicolored flowers , which are variable , create a striking effect in bed and borderline . Use this improbable variety towards the middle of a mixed boundary line or tame in a meadow garden .
Photo by : Walter Erhardt / Shutterstock
' Purity’Cosmos bipinnatus
3 to 4 feet tall , 1 to 2 foot broad
This classical variety has declamatory pure clean blossom 4 to 6 in across that are produced on tall stalk . Makes a superb deletion flower . Plant in a cutting garden or bungalow - style margin . Plants may benefit from back .
' Rubenza’Cosmos bipinnatus
Compact spreading habit
24 to 42 inches improbable , 24 in broad
This strange variety has showy flowers 3 inches across that heart-to-heart to deep ruby - red , tilt to shades of dusky rose and terra - cotta as the blooms geezerhood for a multi - hue effect . This compact shaggy yearbook can be used to fill in gaps in a mixed border or to butt against a bungalow - style plot .
' Sea Shells’Cosmos bipinnatus
Unique tubular petal resemble ocean shells , hence the name . Flowers occur in gloss of ruby , pink , or white . Mass in a boundary line or thin out garden for a arresting effect in the landscape . This taller diversity will benefit from staking to keep plant from falling over .
' Sensation’Cosmos bipinnatus
One of the most commonly grown cosmos , ‘ wiz ’ is an award - win variety with flowers 3 to 4 in across in shade of pink , Battle of Magenta , and white . Plant this taller cosmos at the back of a cottage - mode border or naturalize alongside other loose - to - sow yearly .
' Bright Lights’Cosmos sulphureus
Open branching riding habit
2 to 3 feet marvellous , 1 to 3 feet extensive
Semi - double flowers descend in vibrant hues of yellow , orangish , and red . Mass this unforesightful species in a curbside landing strip or cottage - style mete . Also known as Klondike cosmos , sort include ‘ Bright Lights ’ , ‘ Cosmic ’ series , and ‘ Diablo ’ .
' Xanthos’Cosmos bipinnatus
20 to 26 inches marvelous , 12 to 18 inches wide
Ruffled petal are wan scandalmongering with a creamy blank ring , creating a quiet pastel event in the landscape . Pair with lavender or pastel gamy flower for complementary dividing line . This shorter variety can be used to abut borders and pathway or planted in containers .
' Xsenia’Cosmos bipinnatus
18 to 24 inch grandiloquent , 18 inch wide
The unusual coloring of ‘ Xsenia ’ flower can be variable depend on the light , with tropic chromaticity of pink , peach , rose , apricot , and coral . apply this midget variety to edge borders or pathways , or combine in containers with other warm - time of year annuals .
Photo by : guentemanaus / Shutterstock
Chocolate CosmosCosmos astrosanguineus
2 to 3 invertebrate foot tall , 1 to 2 feet wide
Unlike other cosmos mintage , chocolate cosmos is a tender perennial raise from tubers . The unusual flowers are a rich velvety reddish - brown with a chocolaty fragrance , hence the name . tot up a sophisticated look to containers , beds , or use as a singular focal point . In recent years , new strains have been developed that can be grown from source . Varieties let in ‘ Choca Mocha ’ and ‘ Black Magic Chocolate ’ .
USING COSMOS PLANTS IN THE GARDEN
exposure by Gardens by Design / Shutterstock .
There are many ways to use cosmos in your landscape painting . Here ’s how :
For borders and landscapes : Taller varieties can be used as a ground flora , while short creation can be used as butt on or in aggregate planting .
For slopes and hillside : Broadcast seminal fluid along a slope or hillside for long - endure colour .
For containers : constitute compendious variety in containers by themselves or in combination with other ardent - time of year annuals with like grow demand .
