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How to Grow and Care for Cosmos

yellow cosmos
Cosmos are annual flowers that produce colorful blooms atop a slender stem with  fern-like foliage. These daisy-like flowers come in a wide range of colors from pure white and pretty pastels to brilliant red, fiery yellow and brilliant orange and even deep chocolate.

​Some, like the chocolate cosmos, are highly scented, making them suitable for 
sensory gardens or to line walkways where they will release their scent as you pass by. They range in height from a mere 18 inches to towering plants of 5 feet or more.
Cosmos are thought to attract fairies to the garden especially if the seeds are sown in an uncultivated corner. Cosmos also attract bees and butterflies. If you want to add color and movement to your garden, try multi-colored cosmos along a fence or at the back of flower beds. Shorter varieties can be grown in the middle of the garden or in pots and containers.

The History of Cosmos

The lovely cosmos gets its name from the Greek word kosmos, meaning order and harmony. It can also mean "the world" or "the Universe." According to legend, a group of Spanish Mission Priests in Mexico cultivated these flowers and named them cosmos because of their evenly-spaced petals.

​Some varieties continue to grow wild throughout Mexico and the southern United States. 

Tips for Growing Cosmos


  • Location: Cosmos prefer full sun. Choose a sunny location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. Cosmos will grow in less light, but growth will be stunted and blooming will be inhibited.
​
  • Soil: Cosmos aren't fussy about the soil, as long as it drains well. They tolerate poor and sandy soil.
​
  • Planting: Plant cosmos seeds in the spring after all danger of frost has passed in your area. Sow the seeds to a depth of 1/4 inch spaced 8 to 16 inches apart. Cosmos are known for germinating quickly and well.
​
  • Watering: Cosmos prefer 1 to 2 inches of rain a week, but will tolerate drought. Water them once or twice a week to saturate the soil to the root level.
​
  • Fertilizer: Fertilize cosmos sparingly as they do not require supplemental fertilizer. Too much fertilizer may cause the foliage to flourish and prevent the plants from producing showy blooms.
​
  • Deadheading: Deadhead old or faded blooms to encourage the plants to produce new blooms.

Whether you are looking to attract the wee fairies to your garden or just enjoy these colorful  flowers with their lacy foliage, cosmos are a great choice to add color and movement to any garden. 


Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables