The wildly attractive Celosia Flower is actually from the Amaranth family and is believed to be edible! Any takers? This plant also goes by the names of woolflowers, cockscombs and flamingo feather – those are quite the street names!
This unusual looking annual plant can actually bloom for up to ten weeks, with flower heads that range from red, purple, gold, or pink colors! I learned that the name ‘Celosia’, actually means ‘burning’ in Greek. When blooming in large numbers, the blooms actually begin to appear like they are one plant and resemble ornamental grass of fire. Before doing a little research, I thought these blooms represented more of a colorful brain than anything else – kind of like a colorful, fuzzy brain. I learned that I am not alone in this thought!
Aside from the breathtakingly unique look, Celosia are also one of kind blooms, where each blossom consists of numerous tiny flowers. The best part is that each of these flowers will produce small seeds, which are designed to sow without any work at all!
So many interesting facts for you today!
Caring for The Celosia Flower
As mentioned, the Celosia Plant is considered easy to grow because they essentially propagate themselves even if left unattended. Unlike some of the other blooms I have talked about on my blog, this one will actually do quite well with very minimal attention.
- Before planting add in plenty of manure, organic matter or compost.
- For best results, plant Celosia in full sun or partial shade (8 hours per day).
- Celosia Flowers do not tolerate the cold.
- To enjoy the bright color of Celosia Flowers, they need moist well-drained soil; Celosia Flowers love organic amendments that improve drainage.
- To grow well and thrive, fertilize once a month using a nutrient-rich compost or a liquid nitrogen fertilizer.
Celosias will bloom until the first frost. At that time, they can be cut, dried and brought in - remove all leaves and foliage from the stems and hang head downward in a warm, dark place. This takes about two weeks. Once completed, you can spray with a flower preserve and enjoy your new home décor!
xx Mattie