Plant Type

Annual

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Lavender, Orange, Pink, Red, Yellow, White, Multi-Colored

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Seascape, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Patio, Raised Planter, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Filler, Mass Planting

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies

Cosmos is a colorful annual with bright, daisy-like flowers a variety of pink and lavender shades, as well as white and yellow. Some forms are simple, single petaled, while some have double petals or tube-like petals. Depending on the cultivar, they grow about 2 to 3 feet tall and half as wide. Deadheading will encourage more blooms; but cutting them early for vases is better still. Foliage is ferny and is great for filling in voids in the garden. Cosmos will self-sow if happy with its location. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil.

Cosmos will grow in nearly any soil, as long as it drains well. This is a tough annual. Over-watering, over-fertilizing, or too much shade will make them lanky, with fewer flowers, and probably result in powdery mildew. Cut back as flower volume begins to diminish, as you'll be rewarded with new growth and new flowers. See guide for tips on starting annuals by seed.