Celosia (Celosia) in translation from Greek - "fire flower". Actually, this is the best characteristic for a plant that is bright, like tongues of flame. In any floristic photo, the eye will fall primarily on this flower. These plants really color gardens, make them fabulous and add a pinch of exoticism to the familiar landscape.
Description of the plant
A plant of the Amaranth family, there are about 60 species in the genus, growth began in countries with a warm climate. Perennial or annual plants (often referred to as shrubs), its stems are straight and succulent, often with a red tint, ribbed. They can reach a height of 70 cm, at least 30 cm.
The leaves of the celosia flower are whole, smooth, arranged in turn, have an ovoid shape and a pointed end. Leaves can be variegated, dark purple or green in color.
Celosia flowers are bisexual, small, collected in paniculate or comb inflorescences. The fruit is a round box with black shiny round seeds.
Photo gallery
Plant varieties
The most cultivated varieties or types of cellosis:
- Celosia paniculata(silvery pinnate celosia) has lush inflorescences, tall varieties reach a meter in height, the color of various parts of the plant can be very diverse.
- Celosia cristate silvery- The flowers of this plant variety form an inflorescence that is very reminiscent of a cock's comb.
- Spikelet celosia- is cultivated much less often, but is deprived of attention in vain. Its inflorescences resemble spikelets. The colors are very different.
All types of plants are original, beautiful, and can become an attraction in any area.
Planting and breeding
Most often, celosia is propagated by seeds, and rightly so: cuttings can negatively affect the decorative characteristics of the flower. Buying a mixture of cellosis 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 of 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 along the surface of moist soil.
- On average, the first shoots appear after 5 days.
- Celosia, the cultivation of which requires careful care, needs a temperature of 18-20 degrees, ventilation and proper lighting.
- Watering should be moderate: do not overfill, do not overdry.
- Seedlings are grown on a bright window, but protected from direct rays.
- Transplantation into open ground is possible only after the end of the spring cold weather, after all, cellosia is a very thermophilic 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 the previous works.
Celosia varieties (video)
Celezia care
Crested celosia, paniculata celosia are equally in need of care. The first weeks after planting are important for the crop in terms of watering: it should be abundant, but not excessive. Further, if the summer pampers with rains, it is not worth watering the celosia every day (unless on very dry days).
Do not overdo it with organic fertilizers, nitrogen: feeding 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 combines 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 does not need to be mixed with other colors. But if it is nevertheless decided to do this, you can mix celusion with literally all annuals.
- If you grow a crested cellosis, it will be balanced by calmer and simpler flowers.
- If celosia is a bright accent, other flowers should be slightly muted.
- The yellow-orange tones of paniculate cellosia are perfectly combined with the blue-violet Mexican aggregatum.
- Two-color groundwort is an excellent "companion" of celosia.
- White labelia will be a beautiful background for red cellosis. The same sort of cellosi 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 degree.
How is it applied
One has only to look at a photo where this flower dominates or skillfully complements other plants on the site, and immediately there is a desire to equip such beauty on your garden territory.
Celosia comb, like other varieties of this plant, can be planted in groups of prefabricated flower beds. Can also be planted in rows on a bed. Often the flower is grown in containers and vases, which immediately ennobles the area. But if the cellosia grows in an insulated container, the care will be slightly different: the moisture content of the substrate where the flower grows must be constantly maintained. Planting is not fundamentally different, wherever the flower grows.
Celosia has different descriptions, because it looks unusual and surprisingly beautiful. From Latin the word kelos, from which the name Celosia comes, means "burning, blazing". She received the name for the smallest of the most 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, pointed, lanceolate leaves. All three groups of plants have at least 60 types of cellosis. But in our area, only feathery 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 cellosia on your site, we will tell you later in the material.
Planting cellosis for seedlings
Propagate the plant seeds... By cuttings, cellosis can also be propagated, 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 seeds in advance in a closed ground. Having grown and hardened seedlings, they can be safely planted in the garden. 
Seed preparation before planting
Celosia planting material has a very dense shell, so the first stage of growing it from seeds requires them. pre-soaking... It is advisable to do this in a solution and. One drop of each preparation is added to a 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 in late March or early April c. You can do without, growing on a loggia. In any case, the time when sowing seedlings for seedlings is calculated so that when planting in open ground, the plant does not get frozen.
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 sparsely. There is no need to sprinkle them with a layer of soil, it is enough to gently press them into it and well from a spray bottle.
Germination conditions
Once you've figured out how to sow cellosis, take care of the right conditions for it to germinate. To do this, cover the plate with the sown planting material or and put it in a bright place, but away from direct rays. It is important that the air temperature is kept at a level 23-25ºC... If the temperature is lower, seed germination will not be so amicable, and some will not even be able to shed the peel.
The first shoots should appear in about a week, but the final dates largely depend on the conditions of germination and the quality of the planting material.
Seedling care
The plant is very light-loving, therefore, additional seedlings must be provided. If you grow it at home, you need fluorescent ones. When grown, sodium or halogen are used. Additional illumination should be at least four hours. 
But even with additional light, the sprouts can stretch out strongly... This happens due to a too tight fit. The distance between the 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 must be watered with a solution.
From time to time it is necessary to remove the glass or film, removing condensation from them and from the dish. This will prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.
Planting seedlings of celosia in open ground
After the seedlings have matured enough, you can plant them in open ground, forming future ones with celezii.
The best time to plant seedlings
Planting celosia in a permanent place is carried out when the soil warms up enough, frosts on it should not be expected, the ambient temperature will be high enough. As a rule, this time comes at end of May.
Choosing a site for planting
When choosing a place for a flower in yours, remember that he loves abundant light and does not tolerate excess moisture. Therefore, a bright, illuminated 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 transshipment - together with an earthen clod, it is immersed in a previously prepared hole. If the dive pots were used for diving, you can transfer with them.
Celosia planting scheme depends on its height... When planting tall specimens, the distance between seedlings should be maintained at 25-30 cm from each other. For undersized, 15–20 cm is enough. The first flowers should appear at the end of May, and flowering usually continues until the ambient temperature drops to 1 ° C. 
How to care for a celion
Despite the exactingness to the place of growth, cellosia 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, it must be remembered that it easily tolerates drought, but can die with an excess of moisture... Therefore, it is better to forget it than to add water again. Even if the leaves of a flower droop from 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, going deeper into the ground by no more than 5 cm. 
Fertilization
The first application is carried out already at the stage of plant transplanting into open ground. For this, complex fertilizers are added to the water for irrigation. Use this top dressing no more than twice a month... Do not overdo it, otherwise, with lush greenery, you will not get the expected flowers, for which they are grown.
Did you know? Celosia is used as a dried flower. To do this, during flowering, the shoots are cut off, the leaves are removed from them, tied in bunches and dried in a dark, well-ventilated dry room. In the light, they will lose their bright shades.
Pests and diseases of cellosis, how to deal with them
The plant is subject to many typical ones. 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. Florists are very fond of using celosia in various flower arrangements, both live and dried. Today you will get acquainted with one of the most popular plant varieties - pinnate cellosis. You will learn everything about the peculiarities of growing it at home from seeds (photo and video materials are attached).
Celosia pinnate: description of the plant
This graceful annual plant is native to Asia: it was first discovered in India and African countries. Nowadays, it is most often found in small gardens and greenhouses, where gardeners carefully cultivate 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 pronounced veins. Some varieties have decorative foliage.
There are two main types of cellosis. One has bright flowers that resemble a cock's comb and are presented in yellow, burgundy and other shades. The other has flowers that are very soft to the touch (like bird's feathers), colored scarlet, golden or dark red.
There are about 60 species of this plant in the world, but three are most popular: comb, pinnate (paniculate) and spikelet. As for the feathery cellosia, it is very popular among gardeners around the world due to its striking appearance. This species is distinguished by its high "growth": sometimes it can reach a height of 1 m, although there are also dwarf varieties. The plant has a straight, thick stem, at the top of which there are bright panicles of yellow, orange and red shades. Leaves can be not only green, but also red, and even pink.
The best varieties to grow
Among the most popular varieties of pinnate cellosia 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 inflorescences and purple foliage.
- Thomsoni Magnifica. Almost "classic" variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The plant is decorated with burgundy inflorescences and soft green foliage.
- Fakelshine. The plant has almost the same "growth" as the Thomsoni Magnifica, but the panicles are colored bright red.
Advice. When choosing a variety of pinnate cellosia suitable for indoor cultivation, remember that this plant requires a lot of sunlight and heat, so choose the warmest room with the maximum amount of light illuminated.
Features of growing cellosis from seeds
Celosia is a plant that is very demanding in terms of growing conditions and needs competent and comprehensive care. Let's consider all the subtleties.
Planting a plant
As mentioned earlier, celosia grows only with a sufficient amount of sun, so the room for its cultivation should be just like 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 deciduous humus. It is also advisable to add a little sand and rotted manure. Remember to drain the soil well.
Before planting seeds, the soil should be slightly moistened with warm water. It is better to land at the end of winter, and even better at the beginning of spring - March-April. A small layer of sphagnum moss is laid on 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.
The seeds are immersed in a container with a soil substrate at a shallow depth. You can even just scatter the seeds on the surface as they are very small. You should not tamp the earth at the top of the seeds: they may simply not germinate. Better to press them lightly into the soil.
Advice. Keep in mind that the soil should be moistened when planting the cellosia, 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 foil or glass. At least once a day, the protective cover must be removed to remove condensation and ventilate. If the soil dries out excessively, it is lightly sprayed with water. The first shoots will appear in 5-7 days. The film can be removed immediately.
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 a while, you can remove the plant in a cool environment and stop watering so that the soil is completely dry. Thus, you actively stimulate the flowering of cellosis.
After that, you can safely transplant the young shoots into the main pots and return them to a warm place. Further care of the celosia is very simple, but it should 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 better to water it on the hottest days or when the flowers are slightly lower.
In the autumn-spring period, this plant is especially needed for feeding, so try to add nutritious 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 rarely "gets sick", but sometimes it happens, and, 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 moistened. 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, pinnate celosia is not a very picky plant and, if all the requirements for its cultivation are met, it will delight you with its luxurious flowering for a whole year. Good luck!
Growing cellosis from seeds: video
Celosia belongs to the Amarantov family. The flowers of the plant are compared to a flame, which is what served as the name for celosi (from Latin flaming.). The plant grows wild in Africa, America, Asia, the genus includes about sixty species.
There are 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 crested and pinnate cellosia (the latter is also called paniculate and plumose.)
Known here 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 in bronze. The inflorescence is bright red in color, like a comb.
It can grow up to almost a meter, but there are also dwarf varieties. Leaves, in addition to green, are pink and scarlet. The color of flowers ranges from orange to shades of red.
If you purchased the seeds with, then you will have a mixture of multi-colored varieties.
Among the popular varieties, there are pamsam and glorius ... Caracas has a bright purple color and the glorius variety is predominantly pink in color, but other colors exist. Also attractive is the pampas variety, which has large fluffy inflorescences of orange and red shades.
In addition, cellosia can also be grown not only in the garden, but also indoors, for example, the variety carmine .
Still little is grown in our countries, but still the demand for it has increased recently. Both high (over a meter) and low (about 20 cm) varieties have been bred. The flowers are spikelet-like, the color of which, in addition to the main flowers 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 growing area 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 performing a cellosis transplant. The main thing is to be careful with the roots of the 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 gap between plants should be at least 15 cm, and between high 30.
Celezium care is pretty 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 done only on hot days.
Feeding is also important for celosia, which must be carried out 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 up from time to time and weeds removed. The main shoot of the cellosis must be pinched.
If you have a room system, then it should also receive a lot of light, but diffused. The suitable temperature for growing in a room is 15-18 degrees. Watering should be done with water at room temperature. Do not allow excessive drying of the soil in the pot, nor excessive moisture. Once every two weeks, the flower requires fertilizing with mineral fertilizers (but not nitrogen fertilizers). Basically, the flower is grown as a one-year-old and gets rid of it after flowering.
Propagation of cellosis
The seeds are collected from dried flowers. The inflorescence is simply rubbed 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 per 200 ml of water). It is better to sow cellosia in March in a mixture of vermiculite and humus soil. Sowing is necessary rarely, without covering the seeds with earth, you just need to press down on them and sprinkle with water. Next, the container is covered with glass and kept in good lighting conditions (diffuse) and a temperature close to 25 degrees. Ventilation is performed from time to time. In the interval from a week to ten days, seedlings appear.
If a lot of seeds are sown nearby, then it is necessary to make a dive into shallow containers (depth up to 5 cm). When the seedlings take root, you need to start fertilizing with a solution of mineral fertilizing (but you need to dilute it more than indicated on the label). When the celosia grows a little more and gains strength, then it can be planted in permanent pots. After some time, after the second pick, when the plants have already taken root, you will need to start fertilizing again.
Diseases of cellosis
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 the blackness on the stem of the flower. This fungus forms plugs in the vessels of cellosia 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 introduced to Europe in the 16th century and quickly became popular. Translated from the Greek language, celosia means "burning", "flaming". It owes this name to its bright color, and the fact that its inflorescences are like tongues of flame.
The color of celosi can be yellow, pink, coral, purple, burgundy and red.
Celosia flower can be either annual or perennial. But since it does not tolerate subzero 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 silvery and pink stains. The edges of the leaves can be straight 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, about 4 millimeters in diameter, with a lot of seeds inside. Celosia seeds are round, black in color.
Inflorescences that grow up to 25 centimeters in height are usually distinguished by their shape into three groups:
A flower bed with these exotic velvet blossoms looks great in the center of the garden, attracting maximum attention, and painting the backyard in bright colors. Flowers of small height can be planted in a pot and decorate a loggia or balcony in an apartment.
Varieties and types of cellosis
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 cellosis from seeds
In the conditions of the Russian climate, growing celosia flowers is possible only from seeds, with the cultivation of seedlings at home. You can buy celosia in garden shops and at fairs.
Before planting, the conditions for growing this plant are necessary.
The containers are filled with soil and compacted a little. Then they 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 covered with glass or film, which will need to be removed and ventilated daily.
For the penetration of air 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 it. Aphids that have settled on the leaves can be fought with insecticides or a soap solution. Moreover, it is better to carry out such procedures in the evening, before sunset.
Collecting Celosia Seeds
After the celosia has finished blooming, seed pods are formed. It is quite difficult to assemble them so as not to damage them. They are lightweight and easily carried by the wind.
Therefore, you can use the following method:
Celosia in winter
In Russia, cellosia is used as an annual plant, and in the fall it is dug up and burned. But it looks original in dry bouquets and therefore you can cut off the most beautiful inflorescences, dry them and decorate the apartment with a bright flame.
Uses of the celosia plant
Celosia grows with dense unusual inflorescences and therefore looks equally good, planted alone, near fences, along the curb or next to the wall of the house, and in flower beds in flower beds, located in the center or along the edges.
Low-growth varieties of celosia are planted in flowerpots or special containers to decorate balconies, terraces or verandas. 
Interesting facts about the use of cellosis.
In those countries where cellosia grows like a wild plant, it is used for food, especially young shoots and leaves. You can make a soup, side dish or salad from it, with the addition of spices and herbs, since the shoots do not have their own taste. Sometimes it is given to pets to eat.
The use of celosia in medicine is also widely known. It is popularly used to treat diseases of the blood, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and others. It helps in the restoration of vision and improves immunity, relieves inflammation.
Infusions from this wonderful plant are given for hepatitis and liver damage. Compresses are applied to treat skin conditions and headaches.
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 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.