Celosia
Celosia Flower
Celosia flowers also known as "cockscomb" because of rooster.
This tender perennial remains undaunted in the summer sun and produces a bounty of blooms to enjoy in the garden and in a vase. You can even dry a few as a reminder of warm summer days once winter sets in.
Celosia has striking, eye-catching flowers that bloom in the summer and well into the fall.
3 common names for celosia’s different flower types:
- Plume celosia has soft feathery flowers in red, orange, yellow, pink and magenta.
- Cockscomb celosia has crests of wrinkled-looking blooms that you’ll find in red, orange, yellow, pink, magenta and bi-colors.
- Wheat celosia, as you might guess, looks a bit like wheat. It flowers in shades of pink or red-purple and often self-sows with the right growing conditions.
Exciting Fact: Some varieties can be eaten just like spinach. In fact, the Celosia argentea is widely grown as an ornamental food crop. It is said that their leaves are soft and tasty when the plant is young and turn bitter as it matures. Celosia is the most colorful and the perfection.
Meaning of Celosia
Celosia’s otherworldly flower shapes make them a favorite in the gardens, but do you know they’re associated with various symbolism too? Here are some of them:
- Love; In some cultures, celosias are believed to have a magical power of love. The flower blooms from summer to autumn, and remains vibrant even as the season becomes melancholy. Because of that, they have gained the symbol of unfading love.
- Silliness; Due to the exotic appearance of the flower, it’s associated with silliness.
- Singularity; Celosia is a standout in any garden.
- Strength; They remain strong and beautiful even during storms as the same way they do in the sunlight.
- Courage; They also represent boldness, making them the perfect bloom to wish someone courage.
Symbolism of Celosia
Its name comes from the Greek term keleos that means "burning", based on the flame-red hues of the flower. As a native to Africa and South America, they love tropical climates and are drought tolerant.
Varieties of Celosia Flower
- Fresh Look Gold
- Arrabona Red
- Ice Cream Salmon
- Dragon's Breath
- Twisted Orange
- Tornado Red
- Kurume Corona
- Dracula
- Intenz Classic
- Pink Candle
- Asian garden
Grow and Care
- Planting; celosia needs enormous amounts of sun at least 6 - 8 hours a day. It loves full direct sun. The more sunlight it gets, the taller it will grow. Its soil must be damp but never be wet or soaked. For roots it needs good drainage system. Its acidic soil ratio pH should be in between 6 - 6.5.
- Watering; this plant does not like water that much. Over watering can cause to rot the roots. The celosia loves to be in dry, warm weather and does not like cold.
- Fertilization; it does not require fertilizer. If you want to add fertilizer, it should be added to the water.