Annual. Captivating shimmery pinky-bronze spikes. Bountiful plants with 2–4" spiky clusters on long strong stems. Unusual color makes a spectacular addition to bouquets. 32–46" tall. Pelleted seed.
NEW!| Variety | Product Type | Hybrid Status | Days to Maturity | Lifecycle | Bloom Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ruby Parfait Organic |
seeds | open pollinated | 75 days | annual | deep rose-magenta |
| Celway Terracotta | seeds | open pollinated | 100 days | annual | salmon |
|
Pampas Plume Blend Organic |
seeds | open pollinated | 95 days | annual | multi-colored |
Annual. A prolific and striking display en masse, as a border, or in containers. Excellent cutflower for fresh and everlasting arrangements. Attractive to a wide array of pollinators as well as other “good” garden bugs. From the Greek keleos, ‘blazing,’ a reference to their brilliance. Commonly appear in three groups, cristata (crested, fancifully known as brains), plumosa (plumed) and spicata (with spikes or pointed). All share blazing colors, furry textures and unusual shapes. Known as ji quan hua in China where both seeds and flowers are used medicinally for blood diseases, bleeding and urinary tract infections.
Culture: Thrives in hot dry weather. Prefers full sun and rich soil. Light is required for germination. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Should germinate within 10 days at 70–85 ̊. When seedlings are 4–6", pinch them back to encourage branching. Blooms July through frost.
All flower seeds are open-pollinated except where noted.
Days in parentheses after a variety indicate days to first bloom.
Almost all the flowers we list are open- pollinated and easy to save seed from. Some types cross readily, but who cares! Save the seeds, plant them, and be surprised.
These flowers are especially easy to save seed from: bachelor’s buttons, calendula, cerinthe, cosmos, love-in-a- mist (nigella), nasturtium, poppy, strawflower, sunflower, sweet pea and tithonia.
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.
From early May through mid-December, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.