Cosmos
By: Meriel Bradley
Cosmos are annual flowers with bright daisy-like flowers on long, slender stems. They bloom all summer and attract birds, bees, and butterflies to the garden.
You can grow them from seed by direct sowing after the last frost. They will also self-seed, so you can plan to leave the last of the summer blooms to produce seeds. You can then look out for them the following year and be careful not to weed them out.
When growing from seed, they take about 7 weeks to start producing flowers once they have germinated, so unless you start them inside, you will see flowers sometime in mid-summer, but then they bloom until the last frost.
Be sure to keep up with the deadheading to ensure lots of blooms, and keep your seedlings watered until established.
Type:
annual
Height:
1 – 6 feet
Light:
sun
Quick Facts
Direct sow after last frost
Flowers start about 7 weeks from germination
Likes full sun
Deadhead to encourage reblooming
An annual plant but will self-seed if you leave the last of the season’s flowers
Attracts bees and butterflies
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