Gardening with Gary
Gardening Advice from an Expert
Cosmos
Sheryl writes~
Where does one find a chocolate cosmos flower? I'd like to buy and cannot find a
nursery to buy bulbs.
A. Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is a tuberous perennial which is
hardy in USDA zones 7-10. You need to buy tubers from a company or small plants
in the spring at your local nursery if you can find them available, not an easy
task. They do not grow from bulbs. Check here:
www.dutchbulbs.com/spring/z32878.74319.html
www.plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/7336/1?SA=1303
www.mostlynatives.com/notes/cosmosatrosanguineus.htm
Place plants in a sunny, well-drained part of the garden (roots rot in soggy
soil) and in late summer you'll have dark red flowers atop stems extending well
above the foliage. They make good cut flowers. With first frosts, foliage dies to
the ground, leaving only the plant's tuberous roots. To keep track of where the
tubers are in winter and to avoid accidentally cutting into them, mark the base
of each plant when you set it out. Divide roots after a few years. Carefully dig
and cut them in half, leaving at least one eye on each tuber. Though chocolate cosmos
is native to Mexico, it can handle all but the coldest western climate zones. Last
year, plants survived 10 [degrees] in the Northwest with no problems. To be safe,
mulch before hard freezes come. Convincing chocolate fragrance distinguishes perennial
cosmos. Flowers rise well above plant's foliage. Mahogany red daisies are 1 1/2" wide, one to a stem. They hold up very well as cut flowers.
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