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Other details: May be a noxious weed or invasive This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Soil pH requirements: 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting: Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
On Jun 5, 2009, Raisa from Germantown, TN (Zone 7b) wrote:
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who gets 5 - 6ft of height from this plant. I'd had Cosmos for two years before I switched locations from a part-shade spot to a full sun spot. It grew very sparsely in partial shade and only to a height of about 1 -1 1/2 feet. ..I was 'shocked' at the difference it showed in full sun. ..It grew taller than me and had very thick stalks. Also, there was continuous blooming from early summer into fall. I'm growing it again this year in a different full sun location. ..Also..it attracts Hummingbirds. ..Who knew!
On Oct 27, 2006, Cordeledawg from Cordele, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
In my south Ga. climate, the cosmos I started from seed grew to 6 ft tall! Hardly had any blooms at all. Bloomed sparsely to say the least. Reading about drought tolerant plants lead me to believe that I watered it too much since in was planted in my butterfly garden border. I planted the seedlings in the middle of my border which, after it grew so tall and didn't bloom, ruined the whole visual effect of my border. Should I try this plant again, I'll surely plant it in it's own spot and just ignore it and only water it during extreme drought conditions. I give this report a neutral instead of a negative due to my own novice experience with this plant.
On Apr 17, 2005, kjetiljp from Forest Hills, NY (Zone 7a) wrote:
I run a community garden in New York City (Queens). The soil is very poor - rocky, construction leftovers near a railroad bridge. Cosmos Bright Lights is the toughest annual I have found. Consistently provides lots of bright color with little care - although deadheading is a good idea to maintain good appearance and lengthen blooming season. I find that by staggering planting, I can have color throughout the summer. They bloom within a month of germinating.
Planted on May 30,2004 and was flowering from mid August until first hard frost in October.
Easier to start compared to Marigold seeds planted at the same time.
On Jan 17, 2005, LilyLover_UT from Ogden, UT (Zone 5b) wrote:
This selection blooms in shades of bright yellow, bright orange, and reddish-orange. Easy to grow -- direct sow in the garden in mid to late spring. Self-sows.
On Sep 27, 2004, Sheila965 from Rincon, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
Easy, easy to grow! Very vibrant orange colors that attract bees and butterflies.
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Little Rock, Arkansas Sacramento, California Cordele, Georgia Rincon, Georgia Itasca, Illinois Rock Falls, Illinois Lansing, Kansas Bossier City, Louisiana Blair, Nebraska Forest Hills, New York Warrensville, North Carolina Glouster, Ohio Madison, Ohio North Augusta, South Carolina Germantown, Tennessee Fort Worth, Texas (2 reports) Houston, Texas Odessa, Texas Kalama, Washington Ellsworth, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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