Celosia (Celosia) in translation from Greek - "fiery flower". Actually, this is the best characteristic of a plant that is bright, like flames. In any floristic photo, the eye will fall first of all on this particular flower. These plants really color the gardens, make them fabulous and add a pinch of exotic to the familiar landscape.
plant description
A plant of the Amaranth family, in the genus has about 60 species, growth began in countries with a warm climate. Perennial or annual plants (often referred to as shrubs), its stems are straight and juicy, often with a red tint, ribbed. They can reach a height of 70 cm, minimum - 30 cm.
The leaves of the cellosia flower are whole, smooth, arranged in turn, have an ovoid shape and a pointed end. The color of the leaves can be variegated, dark purple or green.
Celosia flowers are bisexual, small, collected in paniculate or comb-shaped inflorescences. The fruit is a rounded box with black shiny round seeds.
Photo gallery
plant varieties
The most cultivated varieties or types of celosia:
- Celosia paniculata(silver celosia pinnate) has lush inflorescences, tall varieties reach a meter in height, the color of various parts of the plant can be very diverse.
- Celosia comb silver- the flowers of this plant variety form an inflorescence, very reminiscent of a cockscomb.
- Celosia spikelet- cultivated much less often, but it is deprived of attention in vain. Its inflorescences resemble spikelets. Colors are very different.
All types of plants are unique, beautiful, can become a landmark of any site.
Planting and reproduction
Most often, celosia is propagated by seeds, and rightly so: cuttings can adversely affect the decorative characteristics of the flower. Buying a mixture of celosia varieties for planting is a very right decision. The area or balcony where the flower will grow will become unusually bright and iridescent.
Reproduction and planting a flower has a number of nuances:
- Celosia seeds are sown on seedlings under a film in March-April, dive at a distance of 5 cm on the surface of moist soil.
- On average, after 5 days, the first shoots appear.
- Celosia, the cultivation of which involves careful care, needs a temperature of 18-20 degrees, ventilation and proper lighting.
- Watering should be moderate: do not flood, do not overdry.
- Seedlings are grown on a bright window, but protected from direct rays.
- Transplantation into open ground is possible only at the end of the spring cold weather, because celosia is a very heat-loving plant.
Top dressing can be carried out once a month with mineral fertilizers. The main thing is not to forget about leaving, so as not to cross out all previous works.
Celosia varieties (video)
Celosia Care
Comb celosia, paniculata celosia are equally in need of care. The first weeks after planting are important for celosia precisely in relation to watering: it should be plentiful, but not excessive. Further, if summer indulges in rains, it is not worth watering celosia daily (except on very dry days).
Do not overdo it with organic fertilizers, nitrogen: top dressing more than once a month is no longer care, but sabotage. In this case, the plant will grow very large, but the flowers will be small and unremarkable. This is especially evident in the photo in comparison with the flowers, which were provided with proper care.
How celosia is combined with other plants
This plant is beautiful, bright, hardy, which ensured its popularity. In principle, it is considered self-sufficient, so if there is no desire, it can not be mixed with other colors. But if it is nevertheless decided to do this, you can literally mix celosia with all annuals.
- If you grow comb celosia, it will be balanced by calmer and simpler flowers.
- If celosia is a bright accent, other flowers should be a little more subdued.
- The yellow-orange tones of the paniculate celosia are perfectly combined with the blue-violet Mexican aggregatum.
- Two-tone ragwort is an excellent "companion" of celosia.
- White labelia will be a beautiful background of red celosia. The same variety of celosia goes well with ornamental cereals. However, do not forget that if the care of plants is different, you will have to follow its principles in relation to each to the right extent.
How it is applied
One has only to look at the photo where this flower dominates or skillfully complements other plants on the site, as soon as there is a desire to equip such beauty in your garden area.
Celosia comb, like other varieties of this plant, can be planted in prefabricated flower beds in groups. Can be planted in rows on rabatki. Often the flower is grown in containers and vases, which immediately ennobles the area. But if celosia grows in an isolated container, care will be slightly different: the humidity of the substrate where the flower grows must be constantly maintained. Planting is not fundamentally different, no matter where the flower grows.
Celosia has various descriptions, because it looks unusual and surprisingly beautiful. From Latin, the word kelos, from which the name Celosia comes, means "burning, flaming." She received the name for small very different, but very bright shades: golden, scarlet, orange, red, pink, yellow. Its flowers are collected in the form of spikelets, scallops or give paniculate inflorescences, the leaves are pointed, lanceolate. All three groups of plants include at least 60 types of celosia. But in our area only pinnate and comb varieties are grown. Spikelets take root worse.
The homeland of the plant is the warm regions of America, Asia, Africa, where it grows as a plant. But in cooler regions, like ours, it is grown as, since it cannot survive the winter. How to grow celosia in your area, we will describe later in the material.
Planting celosia for seedlings
propagate the plant seeds. Celosia can also be propagated by cuttings, but in this case it will lose its own. Since the plant is thermophilic, does not germinate well in cold soil and does not tolerate, it is better to sow the seeds in advance in closed ground. Having grown and hardened seedlings, it can be safely planted in the garden. 
Seed preparation before planting
Planting material of celosia has a very dense shell, so the first stage of its cultivation from seeds requires them. pre-soak. It is advisable to do this in solution and. One drop of each drug is given per glass of water, the seeds are immersed in the solution and left for 3-4 hours.
When and how to sow seeds
Planting material is sown at the end of March or at the beginning of April. You can do without, growing on the loggia. In any case, the time when to sow celosia for seedlings is calculated so that when planting in open ground, the plant does not fall under frost.
For sowing, prepare small bowls with light soil. For example, an equal combination of humus and. The main thing is to be loose and neutral. Seeds are sown sparingly. There is no need to sprinkle them with a layer of soil, it is enough to gently press them into it and well from the spray gun.
Conditions for germination
Having figured out how to sow celosia, take care of suitable conditions for its germination. To do this, the bowl with the sown planting material is covered or exposed to a bright place, but away from direct rays. It is important that the air temperature at the same time kept at a level 23-25ºC. If the temperature is lower, the germination of the seeds will not be as friendly, and some will not even be able to shed the skin.
The first sprouts should appear in about a week, but the final dates largely depend on the germination conditions and the quality of the planting material.
seedling care
The plant is very light-loving, so the seedlings must be provided with additional. If you grow it at home, you will need fluorescent ones. When growing, sodium or halogen are used. Additional illumination should be at least four hours. 
But even with the organization of additional light, sprouts can stretch out strongly. This happens due to too tight fit. The distance between plants should be at least a centimeter, otherwise the seedlings may die from black leg disease. To prevent this from happening, the seedlings must be thinned out, and the soil should be watered with a solution.
Periodically, it is necessary to remove the glass or film, removing condensation from them and from the bowl. This will prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.
Planting seedlings of celosia in open ground
After the seedlings are strong enough, you can plant them in open ground, forming future ones with celosia.
The best time to plant seedlings
Planting of celosia in a permanent place is carried out when the soil warms up enough, frosts are not expected on it, the ambient temperature will be quite high. As a rule, this time comes in end of May.
Landing site selection
When choosing a place for a flower in yours, remember that he loves abundant light and does not tolerate excess moisture. Therefore, a bright, lit place is suitable for him, where there will be no drafts and strong winds. The soil should be good and neutral. If it is too acidic, lime must first be added to it.
How to plant seedlings
When planting seedlings in open ground, remember that the plant is very fragile. Therefore, it is transplanted to a permanent place by the method of transshipment - together with an earthen clod, they are immersed in a pre-prepared hole. If humus pots were used for diving, you can transfer along with them.
Celosia planting scheme depends on its height. When planting tall specimens, a distance between seedlings of 25-30 cm from each other should be maintained. For undersized ones, 15–20 cm is enough. The first flowers should appear already at the end of May, and flowering usually continues until the ambient temperature drops to 1 ° C. 
How to care for celosia
Despite the exactingness of the place of growth, celosia does not cause any particular difficulties in growing and caring for it. It is only important to remember that it does not withstand too wet soil and even light frosts. At temperatures below 10 ° C, it develops poorly and blooms poorly. The ideal temperature for her is 23–25 ° С.
Watering, loosening and weeding the soil
When organizing a plant, we must remember that it easily tolerates drought, but can die with excess moisture. Therefore, it is better to forget it than to add water once again. Even if the leaves of the flower drooped from a lack of moisture, it will quickly come to its senses after the first one. But with a lack of water, flowering stops.
Weeding is carried out throughout as needed. More attention should be paid, since the flower does not like high humidity. The procedure is carried out every time after rain or watering, deepening into the ground by no more than 5 cm. 
Fertilization
The first application is carried out already at the stage of transplanting the plant into open ground. To do this, complex fertilizers are added to the water for irrigation. Use this feed no more than twice a month. Do not overdo it with, otherwise, with lush greenery, you will not get the expected flowers for which celosia is grown.
Did you know? Celosia is used as a dried flower. To do this, during flowering, the shoots are cut, the leaves are removed from them, tied in bunches and dried in a dark, well-ventilated, dry room. In the light, they lose their bright colors.
Pests and diseases of celosia, how to deal with them
The plant is subject to many typical. At the seedling stage, a black leg can overtake it - blackening at the base of the stem, due to which the sprout falls and dies. The causative agent of this disease can be found in any soil mixture, therefore, before planting it is desirable
Celosia is an unusual plant with a rather exotic appearance. It can be seen in almost any flower bed and in any flower greenhouse. Celosia is very fond of being used by florists in various flower arrangements, both live and dried. Today you will get acquainted with one of the most popular varieties of the plant - pinnate celosia. You will learn everything about the features of its cultivation at home from seeds (photo and video materials are attached).
Celosia pinnate: plant description
This graceful annual plant comes from Asia: it was first discovered in India and African countries. Currently, it is most often found in small gardens and greenhouses, where gardeners carefully grow this beautiful flower.
Celosia is a flower with a rather powerful stem, about 0.3-0.9 m high. The plant is well leafy, green leaves of various shades (depending on the variety) with clearly defined veins. Some varieties have decorative foliage.
There are two main types of celosia. One has bright flowers resembling a cockscomb and presented in yellow, burgundy and other shades. Another has flowers very soft to the touch (like bird feathers), painted in scarlet, golden or dark red.
There are about 60 species of this plant in the world, but three are the most popular: comb, pinnate (paniculate) and spikelet. As for feathery celosia, it is quite popular among gardeners around the world due to its bright appearance. This species is distinguished by its high “growth”: sometimes it can reach a height of 1 m, although dwarf varieties are also found. The plant has a straight thick stem, at the top of which are bright panicles of yellow, orange and red hues. Leaves can be not only green, but also red, and even pink.
The best varieties for growing
Among the most popular varieties of feathery celosia for growing are the following:
- Golden Flitz. A very popular variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The tops are decorated with lush inflorescences of an orange-golden hue.
- Feuerfeder. Quite unusual in appearance, a dwarf variety with bright red inflorescences surrounded by luxurious green foliage with burgundy veins.
- New Look. Another dwarf variety with very beautiful yellow-orange buds and purple foliage.
- Thomson Magnifica. Almost a "classic" variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The plant is decorated with burgundy inflorescences and pale green foliage.
- Torchshine. The plant has almost the same "growth" as Thomsoni Magnifica, but the panicles are painted bright red.
Advice. When choosing a feathery celosia variety suitable for home growing, remember that this plant needs a lot of sunlight and heat, so choose the warmest room, the maximum amount of time lit by light.
Features of growing celosia from seeds
Celosia is a plant that is very demanding on growing conditions and needs competent and comprehensive care. Consider all the subtleties.
Planting a plant
As mentioned earlier, celosia grows only with enough sun, so the room for growing it should be just that. Particular attention should also be paid to the choice of soil for planting. The best option is a soil mixture, 2/3 consisting of loam, 1/3 of leafy humus. It is also advisable to add a little sand and rotted manure. Be sure to drain the soil well.
Before planting seeds, the soil should be slightly moistened with warm water. Landing is best done at the end of winter, and even better at the beginning of spring - March-April. A small layer of sphagnum moss is laid out at the bottom of the container for planting the plant, then the soil mixture is poured. Do not load the ground to the edge - leave a couple of centimeters empty.
Seeds are immersed in a container with a soil substrate to a shallow depth. You can even just scatter the seeds on the surface, as they are very small. Do not tamp the earth at the top of the seeds: they may simply not germinate. It is better to slightly press them into the soil.
Advice. Keep in mind that the soil should be moist when planting celosia, but in no case do not pour water into the container in the traditional way: use a spray bottle.
Be sure to cover the seedlings with film or glass. At least once a day, the protective cover must be removed to remove condensation and ventilate. With excessive drying of the soil, it is lightly sprayed with water. After 5-7 days, the first sprouts will appear. The film can be removed immediately.
The subtleties of seedling care
When the sprouts reach 3 cm in height, you can dive them into separate pots and move them briefly to a very warm room. After some time, you can remove the plant to a cool environment and stop watering so that the soil is completely dry. Thus, you actively stimulate the flowering of celosia.
After that, you can safely transplant young sprouts into the main pots and return to a warm place. Further care for celosia is very simple, but it must be regular. Remember, a plant can be ruined only in two cases: if the temperature regime is not observed (no cold, the temperature is above 20 degrees) and if the soil is excessively moist.
Speaking of moisture. Celosia loves moist soil, so watering should be regular and generous enough, but don't overdo it if you don't want its root system to rot. It is best to water on the hottest days or when the flowers are slightly drooping.
In the autumn-spring period, this plant needs top dressing especially strongly, so try to apply nutrient mineral mixtures diluted with water at least once every 3 weeks (at the rate of 15 g of fertilizer per 5 liters of water).
Celosia pinnate quite rarely "gets sick", but sometimes this happens, moreover, mainly at a "young" age, still quite fragile. In this case, we are talking about a black leg, which can appear when the soil is excessively moist. Therefore, try to water the plant very carefully, early in the morning and only when the sun is shining. If you missed the moment, and the plant got sick, immediately loosen the soil, sprinkle it with ash and stop watering for a while.
As you can see, in general, celosia is pinnate - the plant is not particularly picky and, subject to all the requirements for its cultivation, it will delight you with its luxurious flowering for a whole year. Good luck!
Growing celosia from seeds: video
Celosia belongs to the Amaranth family. The flowers of the plant are compared with a flame, which served as such a name for celosia (from lat. flaming.). In the wild, the plant grows in Africa, America, Asia, the genus includes about sixty species.
There is both annual and perennial celosia, but in the conditions of our belt this flower is grown mainly as an annual, due to the unsuitable climate. Celosia attracts gardeners primarily with its beautiful, bright flowers, which form inflorescences in the form of scallops or bunches of small flowers.
Varieties and types
The most famous is the species, which includes comb and pinnate celosia (the latter is also called paniculate and plumose.)
Known to us as "cockscomb". The height of the flower is about 50 cm, but there are also lower varieties. The color of the leaves in different varieties is different, it can be green, dark red, golden, cast bronze. The inflorescence of bright red color looks like a comb.
It can grow to almost a meter, but there are also dwarf varieties. The leaves, in addition to green, are pink and scarlet. The color of the flowers ranges from orange to shades of red.
If you purchased seeds with, then you will grow a mixture of multi-colored varieties.
Among the popular varieties are, pamsam And glorius . Caracas has a bright purple color, and the color of the Glorius variety is predominantly pink, but other colors exist. Also attractive is the pampas variety, which has large fluffy inflorescences of orange and red hues.
In addition, celosia can also be grown not only in the garden, but also indoors, for example, a variety carmine .
There is still little grown in our countries, but nevertheless, the demand for it has recently increased. Both high (over a meter) and low (about 20 cm) varieties have been bred. Flowers similar to spikelets, the color of which, in addition to the main colors of the inflorescences, is white.
Celosia planting and care in the open field
The time to plant celosia in open ground comes with the final arrival of heat and the departure of night frosts.
The place for growing should be well lit and not blown by the wind, it is important to install drainage there. The soil should not be too acidic, if so, then it must be treated with lime.
There is nothing difficult in planting or transplanting celosia. The main thing is to be careful with the roots of a plant, especially a young one, for greater caution, you can use transshipment.
If your seedlings were in peat pots, then you should plant with them. For low varieties, the interval between plants should be at least 15 cm, and between high 30.
Celosia care is quite simple. The most important thing is that in the spring it does not suffer from frost. Young plants are extremely vulnerable and cannot withstand low temperatures. Another weakness of the plant is excessively damp soil. Watering the flower should be carried out only on hot days.
Feeding is also important for celosia, which should be done once a month. But do not overdo it, otherwise the flower will grow too large leaves and will not bloom. The soil around the plant needs to be fluffed and weeds removed from time to time. The main shoot of celosia needs to be pinched.
If you have room celosia, then it should also receive a lot of light, but diffused. A suitable temperature for growing in a room is 15-18 degrees. Watering should be carried out with water at room temperature. Neither excessive drying of the soil in the pot, nor excessive moisture should be allowed. Once every two weeks, the flower requires top dressing with mineral fertilizers (but not nitrogen). Basically, the flower is grown as an annual and disposed of after flowering.
Reproduction of celosia
Seeds are collected from dried flowers. The inflorescence is simply cowardly over the paper and the seeds spill out on their own.
Before sowing, they need to be dipped in a solution of epin and zircon for three hours (drop by drop into 200 ml of water). It is better to sow celosia in March in a mixture of vermiculite and humus soil. It is rarely necessary to sow, without covering the seeds with earth, you just need to press them down and sprinkle with water. Next, the container is covered with glass and kept in conditions of good lighting (diffused) and a temperature close to 25 degrees. Airing is performed from time to time. In the interval from a week to ten days shoots appear.
If a lot of seeds are sown nearby, then you need to make a pick in shallow containers (depth up to 5 cm). When the seedlings take root, you need to start fertilizing with a solution of mineral fertilizer (but you need to dilute it more than indicated on the label). When the celosia grows a little more and gains strength, it can be planted in permanent pots. Some time later, after the second pick, when the plants have already taken root, it will be necessary to start fertilizing again.
Diseases of celosia
Among the diseases of celosia, the most common is the "black leg". To prevent disease, the soil for planting must be processed. This disease is contagious and in case of illness, the plant must be disposed of immediately.
Its sign is blackness on the stem of the flower. This fungus forms plugs in the vessels of celosia and it begins to turn yellow, the leaves curl and the flower dies.
Celosia is a beautiful ornamental plant native to Asia, Africa, South America and India. It was brought to Europe in the 16th century and quickly became popular. Translated from Greek, celosia means "burning", "flaming". She owes this name to her bright color, and the fact that her inflorescences look like flames.
The color of celosia can be yellow, pink, coral, purple, burgundy and red.
Celosia flower can be either annual or perennial. But since it cannot stand sub-zero temperatures, only annual plants can be grown in the Russian climate.
Celosia blooms in the garden from July to September. In the wild, it can reach a height of up to a meter, but in garden conditions it grows only up to 20-40 centimeters.
Celosia stems are straight, slightly ribbed, with a rich green color and sometimes a reddish tint.
The leaves are arranged in sequence and have an ovoid or oval shape, with a pointed end. They are bright green in color, but there are also variegated, with silver and pink stains. The edges of the leaves may be smooth or wavy. 
Bright flowers, small in size, gather in inflorescences of various shades. And the fruit of the flower is a box, round in shape, with a diameter of about 4 millimeters, with a large number of seeds inside. Celosia seeds are rounded, black.
Inflorescences growing up to 25 centimeters in height are usually divided into three groups according to their shape:
A flower bed with these exotic velvet buds looks great in the center of the garden, attracting maximum attention, and painting the backyard in bright colors. Flowers, small in height, can be planted in a pot and decorate a loggia or balcony in an apartment.
Varieties and types of celosia
There are more than sixty species of this flower, and several more decorative varieties. But there are the most popular species that are most often grown in gardens.
Growing celosia from seeds
In the conditions of the Russian climate, the cultivation of celosia flowers is possible only from seeds, with breeding seedlings at home. You can buy celosia in garden shops and at fairs.
Before planting, the growing conditions of this plant are necessary.
Containers are filled with soil and tamped a little. Then moisten well and spread the seeds on the surface. The seeds are small in size and there is no need to cover them with soil on top, they must be in the light.
The seeds are sprayed and the containers are closed on top with glass or film, which will need to be removed and ventilated daily.
For air to penetrate to the roots of the plant, the ground next to them is loosened and weeds are removed. Tall stems must be tied up so that they do not break in strong wind and rain.
For an adult plant, diseases and pests are not terrible. But young shoots are often susceptible to fungus. To prevent this, it is necessary to control the amount of watering and prevent overflow.
And also sprinkle the surface soil with a layer of wood ash and loosen. Aphids that have settled on the leaves can be fought with insecticides or a soap solution. At the same time, it is better to carry out such procedures in the evening, before sunset.
Collection of celosia seeds
After the celosia finishes blooming, seed boxes are formed. It is quite difficult to assemble them so as not to damage them. They are light and easily carried by the wind.
Therefore, you can use the following method:
Celosia in winter
In Russia, celosia is used as an annual plant, and in autumn it is dug up and burned. But it looks original in dry bouquets and therefore you can cut the most beautiful inflorescences, dry them and decorate the apartment with a bright flame.
The use of the celosia plant
Celosia grows with dense unusual inflorescences and therefore looks equally good, planted alone, near fences, along the border or next to the wall of the house, and in flower beds in flower beds, located in the center or along the edges.
Cellosia varieties, which are characterized by low growth, are planted in flowerpots or special containers to decorate balconies, terraces or verandas. 
Interesting facts about the use of celosia.
In those countries where celosia grows as a wild plant, it is used as food, especially young shoots and leaves. You can make soup, side dish or salad from it, with the addition of spices and herbs, as the shoots do not have their own taste. Sometimes it is given as food to pets.
The use of celosia in medicine is also widely known. Among the people, it is used to treat diseases of the blood, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and more. It helps in restoring vision and raises immunity, relieves inflammation.
Infusions from this wonderful plant are given for hepatitis and liver damage. Apply compresses to treat skin diseases and pain in the head.
Celosium or amaranth oil, extracted from the seeds of the plant, is used in the manufacture of cosmetics. 
After all, it gives a rejuvenating, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and healing effect, and at the same time it has a pleasant smell of nuts.
Although celosia is an exotic plant, it has taken root well in the gardens of Russia. With proper care and sufficient sunlight, it will become a bright decoration for a country or country house.