Celosia Plumosa Alta

Celosia Plumosa Alta  aka Woolflower Tall stems, 24” with large, fluffy plumes of red, orange, and yellow. They love heat and will thrive all summer. A great cut flower or bedding plant with uniquely-shaped flowers that eschew any concept of subtlety. Expect shapes reminiscent of plumed candle flames, or coral, all available in a wide variety of colors.

They also are edible ornamentals you can add to your garden, and have a taste not unlike spinach. Celosia also contains those minerals and vitamins commonly found in deep-hued leafy greens.  While a making a great, long lasting cut flower, these plants are also very edible! Their leaves make an awesome braised green, robust, with a taste similar to beet greens; best of all, the flowers are absolutely delicious when battered and deep fried!

They will grow in partial sun, but they’re at their best in sunny and dry conditions.  Give them plenty of sunlight and a warm location, and they’ll thank you with prolific blooms. But careful attention to their soil and watering requirements is potentially even more important than that sunlight.  Start yours indoors about four weeks before the last frost date, because these seedlings are very sensitive to cold.

Celosia seeds do not need light to germinate and should be placed under a good quarter-inch of soil. The soil should be consistently moist but never saturated; you can get around this dilemma by using a greenhouse cover over your seed tray. Most trays are sold with one of these, but a piece of plastic wrap works in a pinch.  If these seedlings are allowed to dry out they will die quickly, so keep that soil moist.  However, Celosia will not tolerate wet feet. That is, these plants do not want to be watered too much, and require soil with excellent drainage. The only celosia I’ve seen that weren’t at their best were those that were over watered, or planted in soils heavy with clay. The plants become limp and languid looking, then practically melt from too much stored up moisture.

These plants still need to be in soil that is watered regularly. Finding a balance with these flowers can be a tricky endeavor when they’re grown in containers and raised beds. But if you’ve got these plants in quality well-drained soil, they will practically take care of themselves.

Species name: Celosia Aargentae L. Plumosa

Approx. 1,400 seeds per gram.