Description
Celosia argentea var. spicata / Celosia spicata | Spike Celosia ‘Cramer’s Amazon’
Spike Celosia, also called Wheatstraw Celosia, Plumed Cockscomb or Silver Cockscomb, is an exceptionally tall form of Celosia brought back from the Peruvian Amazon by Wayne Amos, the White House horticulturist. It has burgundy-marked green foliage and two-tone magenta-pink feathery spike-type flowers reaching up to 6-8+ ft tall! If you’d prefer a shorter, more bushier plant, you can pinch off the tips when the plant is about 1 ft tall. Its flowers are long lasting in the garden and are great as a cut flower, too. Plant this giant in the center or back of the garden. Likes it dry and hot. Drought tolerant. Reseeds occasionally in zones 7 or warmer. Blocker size small, direct seed also, and do not cover seed, 5-10 days to germinate. This plant is an instant hedge to cover an ugly view.
Seeds germinate with heat humidity and light. Do not cover seeds with soil. While many seeds will germinate within 5-10 days, germination may be sporadic over a period of a few weeks, so don’t give up on them too soon. Start earlier indoors for larger plants.
Attracts birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
Type: Annual
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 6-8+ ft
Mature width: 1-2 ft
Hardiness zones: Perennial in zones 10-11, annual in all others.