Celosia argentea Flamingo Feather - Silver cock's combseeds

The 'Flamingo Feather' Celosia is a magnificent selection of Celosia argentea that is particularly floriferous, with tall, numerous pastel pink flower spikes, ideal for cut flowers. This annual plant forms a beautiful clump in one season, adorned with very soft-to-the-touch, lilac-pink flower spikes, gradually fading to a silvery pink at the top of the spike. Highly ornamental in flower beds or pots, it is also a vegetable whose young leaves can be eaten like spinach and its seeds like cereal. It is easy to grow in rich, sunny soil. Sow indoors in March and plant outside after the last frost.

The 'Flamingo Feather' Celosia belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, just like amaranths and orache. This variety is highly valued in floristry and stands out for its inflorescences in long, narrow, pyramid-shaped cymes composed of tiny flowers, giving the overall appearance of a plume. Its pale green, sparse foliage consists of lanceolate leaves measuring 10-15 cm (4-6in) long. The whole plant forms a clump of branched stems that reaches about 70 cm (28in) high and 50 cm (20in) wide. Flowering starts in June (depending on the sowing date) and continues throughout the summer. After pollination, a large quantity of small, round, light brown seeds is formed. The leaves and older stems have a bitter taste, while the young leaves have a pleasant spicy flavour reminiscent of spinach.

The 'Flamingo Feather' Celosia is a fantastic cut flower, used fresh or dried. Its pastel inflorescences are perfect companions for roses, peonies, and dahlias. Planting should take place after the last frost (May in most regions), as it freezes at 0 °C. The soil should be enriched with compost or potting soil before planting. The best exposure for celosia is full sun. This annual is perfect for flower beds and flower borders. It also allows for the creation of beautiful flowering pots on the terrace.