Fairy Fountain Celosia argentea

Cockscomb is a short-lived annual herb that grows to a height of about 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall.  In climates where it is grown as an annual it will reseed itself and return the next year.  In locations that experience warm winter temperatures, such as USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, it can also be grown as a perennial.

This easy to grow plant makes an excellent cut flower.  It prefers full sun and rich, moist, well-drained soil, but tolerates poor, dry soil.  The stems grow fast but tend to have a weak structure.  The inflorescence absorbs water easily and becomes too heavy for weak stems in tall cultivar selections, causing bending or breakage.  Staking the plants helps.  Regular watering of the root zone is a must as a lack of water will make the leaves appear wilted.  A trend in the green industry to address both of these problems in the last few decades has been to select shorter members and move to dwarf selections. 

Since inflorescence color does not come from the corolla, the inflorescence can be cut, hung to dry, and it retains an attractive color when utilized as dried flowers or in floral arrangements. The genus name comes from the Greek word for burning and refers to the colorful blooms that are shaped similar to a flame. The species name, argentea, means "silvery", in reference to the shiny, white bracts and tepals of the species.

This plant tolerates dry porous soils and thrives in heat and humidity.  Plant it in border fronts, edging, or cut flower gardens. Celosia species do reseed, and they should be sited in a location where their reappearance every year is not unwanted. To prevent reseeding, you can cut off the blooms before seeds appear.

Quick ID Hints:

• Terminal inflorescence with cockscomb sometimes present
• Terminal plumose or finger-like spike inflorescence
• Inflorescence globose, resembling brain coral

Cultivar groups inflorescence:

Childsii Group - terminal inflorescence of globose, bosses consisting of numerous, congested cockscombs; bosses resembles brain coral. 

Cristata Group - terminal inflorescence of several erect, flattened, broad, cristate cockscombs. 

Nana Group - name not retained as there are several cultivar selections of dwarf forms in other groups. 

Plumosa Group - terminal inflorescence of erect, tapering upward, plumose or feathery inflorescence; central axis bearing elongate lateral branches spreading ascending, branches getting shorter upward. Includes Celosia argentea.

Spicata Group - metallic pink or yellow in slender heads; central axis bearing very short lateral branches; resembling one or more raised fingers. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: 

No serious pest nor disease problems, but issues with snails and slugs may be experienced.  Can be susceptible to root rot. Crowding, rain, and high humidity will cause flowers to rot. This plant is frequently damaged by deer. Some cultivars have shown good resistance to abiotic disorder and a fair amount of resistance to phytophthora (where fair is defined as less than half the plants in a recent study dying of the disease). See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.

When grown as a houseplant, it is susceptible to infestation by aphids and spider mites, which can be washed off.  

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.