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Asteraceae
Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Order, harmony, peace, modesty.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Cosmos
- Native to
- Mexico, Central America
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 60–180 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, lean to moderate fertility
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant
- Hardiness
- 2–11 (annual)
- Lifespan
- Annual
Did you know
- Spanish priests in Mexico named the flower 'cosmos' from the Greek word for 'harmony,' admiring the perfectly even spacing of its petals.
- Cosmos thrive in poor soil — fertile soil produces lush foliage but fewer flowers.
- The species Cosmos atrosanguineus (chocolate cosmos) genuinely smells like chocolate vanilla and was thought extinct in the wild for over a century.
- Cosmos seeds were brought to Europe in the late 18th century by Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles.
- They self-sow generously, often returning year after year without replanting.