Herb. No. 248 · Asteraceae
Mexican annual of light soil; a world cottage flower.
Native · Mexico & Central America
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Garden flowersFlowersHarvestCompanions
Feathery foliage and a simple daisy on a tall stem — the airy insectary that does not shade a vegetable the way sunflower can.
Cosmos is a Mexican annual with thread-like leaves and flowers that look like they were drawn with a clean pen. It self-sows if you let a few heads ripen. Bees and hoverflies use it all day. Plant it behind lettuce in spring and beside tomato in summer; the foliage is light, not a tent. Cosmos sulphureus is the hotter orange cousin, just as easy. Neither is a salad plant.
Flavor
Not a food flower.
Parts used
Flower (cut and insectary)
Helpful
- Airy — does not smother neighbors
- Self-sows kindly
- Heat-tolerant
Cautions
- Tall types flop without a rough stake
- Not edible
- Can seed into a path