Celosia Plumosa – Flowering plants

Celosia Plumosa is a popular ornamental, evergreen herbaceous annual grows up to 1 m tall. Leaves are tender and smooth to touch, lanceolate to elliptic shape. Older leaves have a broader base compared to young leaves which are narrower in shape. Stems are fleshy stems and cultivars with red flowers may have red stems. Flowers are long and erect feathery spikes at the terminal of the stems can be used as cut and dried flowers. Blooms in showy colors of red, yellow or orange, last up to 2 months. The perfect choice for beds and borders. Ideal for baskets, containers and window boxes.

Scientific Name: Celosia argentea var. plumosa
Common Names: Celosia Plumosa

How to grow and maintain Celosia Plumosa:

Light:
It grows well in bright light to full sun. Moving your Celosia Plumosa plant outdoors for the spring and summer will give it the sunlight it needs to flower.

Soil:
It grows best in a rich, organic, well-drained, peat moss based soil.

Water:
Water your plant regularly during the growing season and always keep the soil evenly moist but never allow your plant to sit in water. You can allow the top 1 inch of soil to dry out between each watering. During the winter months, reduce watering.

Humidity:
It prefers average room humidity, 40%-50% relative humidity.

Temperature:
It prefers an average room temperature of 60°F – 75°F / 16°C – 24°C. If you move your celosia plumosa plant outdoors for the summer, don’t worry it can take the heat. This is a frost-tender plant. In fact, it doesn’t do well in cool temperatures, so be sure to bring it back indoors when the temperature drops in fall.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize once a month with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by seeds. Start seeds indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. Cover them with soil, since light inhibits their germination. Can also be sown outdoors after the last frost is reached.

Pests and Diseases:
Celosia Plumosa has no serious pest or disease problems. Sometimes, susceptible to infestation by red spider mite, whitefly, and aphids, especially when grown under glass. Can be affected by root rot, fungal and leaf spot diseases.