Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) Annual Flower Also known as Mexican Aster, Cut Leaf Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus Asteraceae Family A tall annual that fills space rapidly, Cosmos is renowned for its profuse blooms and generous self-seeding habit. Perfect for providing large splashes of pastel color in the garden. Site Characteristics Plant Traits Special Considerations Sunlight: Lifecycle: annual Special characteristics: . full sun Ease-of-c a r e : easy . aggressive - Self-seeds . part shade prolifically. Height: 1 to 6 feet . non-invasive Soil conditions: . native to North America - Spread: 1 to 2 feet Mexico . requires well-drained soil . tolerates low fertility Bloom time: Attracts: Does not do well in rich soil, . mid-summer . butterflies becoming leggy and weak. Prefers . late summer neutral to alkaline pH and warm . early fall Special uses: weather. mid-fall . cut flowers Flowers from July until frost. direct-seeding . wildflowers Flower color: . red . violet . white . pink Hybrids are available in many different shades of these basic colors, mostly pastels. Foliage color: medium green Foliage texture: fine Very lacy, airy foliage. Shape: u p r i g h t Shape in flower: same as above Growing Information How to plant: Propagate by seed - Scatter seeds outdoors where desired after frost danger has passed, or start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. The plants self seed prolifically. Germination temperature: 70 F to 75 F Days to emergence: 7 to 14 Maintenance and care: May require staking. May be weedy due to self seeding. Deadhead to prolong flowering. More growing information: How to Grow Annuals Varieties Look for dwarfs, various flower colors and plant heights. ‘Cosmic’ Series: Short (1’ tall) plants with colorful yellow or orange flowers. Very reliable bloomer. ‘Sonata’ Series: large flowers in shades of pink, white and red on short, 1 to 2’ tall dwarf plants. Does very well in full sun, and flowers abundantly. ‘Candy Stripe Mix’: white flowers striped along the length of the petals with shades of red. ‘Daydream’: pale pink petals deepend to dark pink towards the tufted yellow center of the flower. Very striking. ‘Gazebo Mix’: white pink and red flowers are larger than most Cosmos and showy on 3 to 4’ tall plants. ‘Seashells Mix’: trumpet-like flower petals are rolled into tubes. Flowers in shades of pink, red and white. Plants grow 3' tall. ‘Sensation’ Series: very large (4 to 6') flowers in a variety of shades of pink, white and red. Plants grow to 4’ tall. ‘Versailles’ Series: excellent for cut flowers because of its wiry stems and large, colorful blooms in shades of red, white and pink. Blooms during short days, and thus is a good winter greenhouse cutflower plant. ‘Picotee' attractive white flowers have reddish pink edges with faint red lines running the length of the petals and yellow flower centers. ©2006 Cornell University . All rights reserved. .