Celosia(Celosia), also called the cock's crest, is an annual plant belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It comes from Africa and tropical regions of Asia. Its flowers of intense colors are oblong and have the form of folded crests, pyramids or spikes. See whatvarieties of celosiayou can use on a garden bed or on a balcony. We reveal the secrets ofcare and propagation of celosiain amateur cultivation.
Celosia - Celosia
Photo. depositphotos.com
Celosia - application
Celosia can be usedas border and bedding plants. In garden flower beds, it is worth planting celosia varieties with a different color of flowers, creating colorful compositions from them. Celosia go well with other bedding plants, such as: shining sage, mexican brine, ornamental grasses, silvery old man, impatiens.Celosia works equally well in container cultivation , being an unparalleled decoration of balconies and terraces.
Celosia is a plant appreciated by florists . Cut celosia flowers can last up to 3 weeks. The plant is also used for dry bouquets, because its flowers do not lose their intense color after drying.
Celosia - varieties
A typical species of celosia grown in gardens issilver celosia(Celosia argentea var. Argentea). This plant is characterized by an upright habit. The leaves are light green, elongated, and tiny spikelets create profuse inflorescences.The genre is divided into three forms:
- pinnate celosia (Celosia argentea var. Plumosa),
- spiked celosia (Celosia argentea var. Spicata),
- crested celosia (Celosia argentea var. Cristata)
These forms, sometimes treated as separate species, differ in habit, shape of leaves, flowers and height. Among them, there are also numerous groups of varieties and varieties. We discuss them in detail below.
Feathered celosia
Pinnate celosia(Celosia argentea var. Plumosa) - grows up to 40-50 cm tall, and its inflorescences have the shape of a pyramid and take on intense colors: yellow, orange, pink, purple and red. The stems are unbranched and the leaves are lanceolate, gathered in rosettes. It blooms from late June until late autumn. Several groups are distinguished among the varieties of feathered celosia.
Pinnate celosia - Celosia argentea var. plumosa
Fig. depositphotos.com
Pinnate Celosia Century- these are varieties with large, well-developed ears in yellow, orange and pink colors. For pot production, but can also be used for cut flower. They are distinguished by vigorous growth and shrubby habit. They reach 50-60 cm in height. They withstand high temperatures very well.
Feathered celosia Kimono- the standard among dwarf celosia. For many years, the most popular group of varieties with a compact habit, large ears and a wide range of colors.
Feathered Celosia Ice Cream- these are dwarf varieties growing up to 30 cm tall with short, thick ears of cream, salmon, yellow, pink and red.
Feathered celosia 'Arrabona Red'- this dwarf variety reaches 20 cm in height. The plants are strong, branched and shrubby. The inflorescences have an intense shade of red and orange. Perfectly tolerates heat and drought.
Feathered celosia 'Kimono Yellow'- has an impressive, dense plume of yellow-orange flowers. It reaches a height of 40-50 cm. It looks beautiful both on a flowerbed and in a pot.
Crested celosia
Crested celosia(Celosia argentea var. Cristata) - it is distinguished by rooster-shaped inflorescences, which is why it is sometimes called a cockscomb. The raised stem grows up to 50 centimeters, and the green leaves may take on a slightly purple tinge. The flowers can be red, yellow and orange, maroon or salmon.
Crested celosia - Celosia argentea var. cristata
Fig. depositphotos.com
Crested celosia Bombay- is a group of cut flower varieties. Lime, pink, purple and red varieties have dense, large spikes and reach up to 100 cm in height.
Crested celosia Act- these cut flower varieties with thick flower heads in yellow, green, orange and red colors have a high tolerance to fungal diseases. They grow up to 100 cm in height.
Chest celosia Chief- is a group of popular varieties intended for cutting with large, full, spherical inflorescences in intense yellow, red and pink colors.
Crested celosia 'Gypsy Queen'- This variety of celosia has an intense dark maroon color and a wide, fan-shaped bloom. The leaves also turn purple. The plant reaches a height of about 30 cm and blooms from late summer to fall. It also works well in containers, gardens and cut flowers.
Crested celosia 'Red Velvet'- this is a crimson variety with exceptionally large inflorescences, reaching about 100 cm in height.
Spiked celosia
Celosia kłosowa(Celosia argentea var.spicata) - grows up to 70 cm in height. The raised stem is covered with light green, elongated leaves, and oblong spike-like inflorescences grow at the ends of the shoots. The following varieties and groups of spike celosia are of particular interest:
Celosia spiky 'China Town'- the undoubted pride of this variety are large, loose, fluffy, intensely red inflorescences and maroon leaves. The plant reaches 50 cm in height.
Celosia spiked Celway- is a group of cut flower varieties. They reach a height of 120 cm, and their striking ears have unusual colors: lemon, white, salmon, purple, orange, brick red.
Kosmo Kłosowa- is a compact celosia grown in containers and in a bed. Dwarf plants reach 20 cm in height, and the decorative main spike with numerous side spikelets comes in a wide range of colors.
Celosia kłosowa - Celosia argentea var. spicata
Fig. pixabay.com
Celosia - cultivation
Celosia is a quite demanding plantPrefers a sunny, warm and quiet position. It does not tolerate urban pollution well. It comes from regions with high temperatures, so in our conditions, we can plant it only when the risk of frost has passed - from the end of May or in June. Celosia prefers fertile, humus-like, light and permeable soils with a pH close to neutral (pH 6-7.5).
The substrate for celosia cultivation must be constantly slightly moistbut not waterlogged. Celosia does not tolerate stagnant water. Applying a layer of organic mulch (garden bark, compost) will help fight weeds and maintain the correct soil moisture. The plant requires a weekly supply of multi-component fertilizer for flowering plants or natural biohumus. If we want toextend the flowering period of celosia , we must not forget to regularly remove faded inflorescences. Then the plant will form new ones in their place.
Celosia - reproduction
Celosia is an annual plant grown from seedlings. We prepare seedlings from February to March in a greenhouse or a heated inspectorate. For this purpose,celosia seeds are sown intoboxes filled with special soil for sowing seeds or garden soil mixed with sand in a proportion of 3: 1. The seeds need a fairly high temperature to germinate, i.e. 20 - 22 ° C. They germinate in 14-21 days. We make sure that the substrate is constantly moist. If the seeds are sown too densely, the seedlings should be pierced into individual pots.
Celosia should be hardened for about 10 days before planting in a permanent place (May / June), i.e. getting used to lower temperatures. At destinationwe plant celosia seedlings at a distance of 20x30 cm
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
