A hardworking and reliable flowering summer annual is celosia. These are one of my go to, easy care plants. Plumed Celosia are beautiful plants with vertical feathery flowers. These annuals are a great choice for our hot and dry summers. The Castle Series Mix will grow to 16 inches tall and when mass planted resemble a colorful family of gnomes. Flower colors include orange, yellow, pink, and red. New Look celosia burst upon the garden scene and garnered All-America Selections status in 1988. New Look has four-inch flower plumes that are bright red and complement the red tinged leaves. A cousin to New Look is Fresh Look Red, also an All-America Selections winner in 2004. I grow Fresh Look Red because along with bright green foliage it produces vibrant red plumes non-stop all summer in the intense heat and humidity and is a standout performer in my mail box planting. One of what I think are best celosia choices of recent years is Dragon’s Breath. This two-foot-tall celosia selection has unique red-green foliage that is topped with blazing red feathery flowers that resemble flames licking upwards. A great feature of this radiantly beautiful celosia is the color intensifies during even the harshest conditions of the Mississippi summer season. No matter which variety you choose celosia is a fantastic choice to plant in your landscape. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I hope you join me next time on Southern gardening.
