Author's posts
Feb 01
Cosmos Atrosanguineus
Cosmos atrosanguineus, better known as chocolate cosmos, is one of the most distinctive species in the genus Cosmos. Instead of the airy pink, white, or crimson annual flowers associated with Cosmos bipinnatus, chocolate cosmos is a tuberous herbaceous perennial with velvety dark maroon-to-crimson flowers famous for their warm chocolate-like fragrance. Native to Mexico, the species …
Feb 01
Cosmos Sulphureus
Cosmos sulphureus, commonly called sulphur cosmos, yellow cosmos, orange cosmos, or Klondike cosmos, is a warm-season annual known for brilliant flowers in shades of lemon yellow, golden yellow, orange, and red-orange. Native from Mexico through Central America, it is one of the most colorful wild species in the genus Cosmos and the source of numerous …
Feb 01
Cosmos Bipinnatus
Cosmos bipinnatus is the species behind most of the familiar pink, white, crimson, burgundy, bicolor, double, and specialty cosmos flowers grown in gardens today. Commonly called garden cosmos, Mexican aster, tall cosmos, or cut-leaf cosmos, it is a fast-growing annual native to Mexico that has become one of the world’s most recognizable summer flowers. The …
Feb 01
Cosmos Flower Types
Cosmos flowers come in far more forms than the familiar pink-and-white daisies many gardeners picture first. Within the genus Cosmos, gardeners can choose from annual and perennial species, compact and towering plants, single and double flowers, tubular petals, cup-shaped blooms, bicolors, pale yellow selections, apricot cultivars, and dark chocolate-scented perennials. Most ornamental cosmos grown in …
Feb 01
Cosmos Flower Growth Stages Explained
Cosmos flowers move through a surprisingly fast series of growth stages, beginning as narrow seeds and ending as tall, branching plants covered in flowers and eventually mature seed heads. Under warm, sunny conditions, many annual cosmos varieties can go from seed to their first flowers in roughly 75 to 90 days, although early cultivars may …
Feb 01
Creating a Cosmos Flower Bed
A cosmos flower bed can turn an ordinary sunny patch of garden into months of airy foliage and colorful flowers with surprisingly little maintenance. Cosmos are among the easiest annual flowers to grow from seed, and the huge range of modern varieties means a bed no longer has to consist only of traditional pink-and-white blooms. …
Feb 01
Where Are Cosmos Flowers Native? Native Range by Species
Cosmos flowers are strongly associated with Mexico, and for good reason: Mexico is an important center of diversity for the genus and the birthplace of several of the cosmos species most commonly grown in gardens. However, saying simply that “cosmos flowers are native to Mexico” does not tell the whole story. The genus Cosmos has …
Feb 01
How Tall Do Cosmos Grow? Heights by Species & Variety
Cosmos flowers can grow anywhere from about 1 foot to more than 6 feet tall, depending on the species, cultivar, soil, sunlight, water, and growing conditions. That enormous range is one reason it can be difficult to answer a simple question such as, “How tall do cosmos grow?” Compact varieties such as Sonata, Apollo, Xanthos, …
Feb 01
Are Cosmos Deer Resistant? What Gardeners Should Know
Cosmos flowers are generally considered deer resistant, but they are not deer-proof. Deer often leave established Cosmos bipinnatus plants alone when more appealing food is available, which makes cosmos a useful annual for gardens where deer browsing is a concern. However, hungry deer can still eat the foliage, stems, buds, or flowers—especially when plants are …
Feb 01
When Do Cosmos Bloom? Flowering Season & How Long Blooms Last
Cosmos usually begins blooming in summer and continues into fall until frost, giving gardeners one of the longest flowering seasons among easy annual flowers. Depending on the cultivar, sowing date, climate, and growing conditions, the first flowers may appear roughly 75 to 90 days after sowing. Some early varieties can bloom sooner, while slower specialty …
