Practical
Plants

Cosmos bipinnatus

Cosmos

an annual member of the Cosmos genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cosmos
Life cycle
annual
Height
1 m
Fertility
Bees, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera

Environment

Range
Southern N. America - Mexico.
Habitat
Roadsides and waste places[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 5 - 7 days at 20 - 25°c[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. Especially in areas with hot summers, the seed can also be sown in situ in May[2].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in a sunny sheltered position in most soils[3] but prefers one that is poor and light[1]. A very ornamental plant[4], the flowers are very attractive to bees[1]. There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[4].

References

  1. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  5. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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