Plant record

Celosia

Celosia argentea

Celosia waits for heat and then shows off. It is all flame and velvet once summer finally means it.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusCelosiaAmaranthaceae
Species anchorCelosia argenteaThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score91/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.

Transplant only after warm nights are reliable.

Plant intelligence

Use one square for compact types; taller plume or wheat types need support and airflow.

cut flowerpollinatorcontainer

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: upright heat-loving annual flower

Height: 12-48 inches

Spread: 8-18 inches

Germination: 7-14 days

Sow depth: 0.125 inches

Bloom: summer, fall

Attracts: bees

Record score

91/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Celosia argentea in Amaranthaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness861 per square with none support.
Timing and care depth922 planting windows, 60F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down1003 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90moderate pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificCelosia argenteaFamilyAmaranthaceaeLookup namesCelosia, Celosia argentea, cockscomb, wheat celosia, plumed celosia

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit1 per square
86Use one square for compact types; taller plume or wheat types need support and airflow. Support: none.
Season behaviorheat-loving
92Indoor start. Transplant. One main planting.
Care loadmoderate water
80Cold checks growth hard. Avoid overwatering seedlings. Soil minimum 60F.
Bed ecosystem rolecut flower, pollinator
90moderate pollinator value; red, orange, yellow, pink.
Variety depth3 options
100Wheat types are easiest in mixed beds; crested types bring drama but less insect access.

Species and variety notes

Wheat types are easiest in mixed beds; crested types bring drama but less insect access.

Fresh Lookseries
86small-bed fit

Compact enough to behave near vegetables.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: wait for real warmth before judging performance.

plumed, compact, heat tolerant75-90 days12-18 inches tall
Flamingo Feathercultivar
78small-bed fit

Airier than crested celosia and easier to weave into a garden bed.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: wait for real warmth before judging performance.

wheat type, soft color, cut flower75-90 days30-42 inches tall
Chiefseries
72small-bed fit

Bold and formal; give it heat and room.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: uses more visual space than compact utility types.

cockscomb, cut flower, dramatic90-100 days28-40 inches tall

Companions

pepper, basil, marigold, zinnia

Cautions

Cold checks growth hard.

Avoid overwatering seedlings.

External enrichment

Cached name: Celosia argentea. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

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