Silver-plumed celosia

Family Amaranthaceae. Origin - India. Garden form.

Plant compact, pyramidal up to 100 cm tall. Stems erect, ending in large, paniculate inflorescences. Shoots, depending on the cultivar, are green, light green, pink, red. Flowers small, yellow, golden-orange, bright red, dark red. Blooms from July until the first frosts. Fruits. In cultivation since the second half of the 16th century.

Location: The most beautiful inflorescences develop in warm, sunny, wind-sheltered spots

Soil: they require fertile soil. Do not tolerate fresh organic fertilizers.

Care: require regular watering. Very heat-loving, damaged even by slight frosts, and prefer full sun.

Propagation: by seed, sown at the end of March - early April into boxes or warm hotbeds. Seedlings are pricked out twice, first into boxes or a warm hotbed, second into 7 cm pots, one per pot. Essential are careful and moderate watering, and regular airing. Transplant to a permanent location after the end of spring frosts, keeping spacing between plants of 15-20 cm.

Uses: valued for the originality of their bright inflorescences and the decorative quality of their leaves. Good in containers and pots. Recommended for flower beds, borders, vases, and dried bouquets.