Better Late Than Never

When I heard that this year's Solano Fair theme was home grown fun and that Carolyn hoped we could grow some of our plants from seed, I knew I had to grow some crested Celosia, Celosia cristata. I had grown them before and really enjoyed their strangeness. I found a seed packet at the SF Flower and Garden Show and got them started.

With our cooler summer though, the plants took longer than I had anticipated to grow and when fairtime came around only one plant had a bloom bigger than an inch or two, so they didn't make the cut. Since they had missed their chance for stardom at the fair, I decided to put them in the blog. Celosias are a part of the amaranth family. Most people are more familiar with the plume form which is commonly available in many nurseries.

The crested form though is my favorite. It is fan shaped and velvety. The edges form convolutions that remind many people of brains. I am partial to the brilliant red coloration. I know from previous years that the red color holds with drying. I've used them in dried arrangements and as decorations on wreaths. This year I was hoping perhaps I might have enough to cover a small wreath form entirely with the dried blossoms. Although they were slow getting started they are blooming their hearts out now.

Celosia are annuals, which means they grow, set flower, then seed and die in one season. However, they are easy to grow from seed (After all, I grew them and I don't have much luck with seeds). They like full sun, they like water, and they grow well in containers. I have about six in individual pots and put several together in one pot. They are great fun and I think children might appreciate their velvety softness.

Celosia (photos by Karen Metz)

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